The Power of Creative Flow

Finding stillness in motion, and freedom in focus

Creative flow is a state that I find fascinating. As a creative wellbeing coach, psychotherapist, and artist, I often explore how we process our experiences, not just intellectually, but emotionally, spiritually, and creatively. Creative flow is a state where there is a sense of complete immersion in an activity. Time seems to slip away, the chatter of self-doubt disappears, and we can feel so alive. Whether we are painting, writing, or composing music, moments of deep immersion like this can offer so much for our wellbeing.

When I am doing archery or writing lyrics, I find that I am so engrossed in what I am doing, that I feel both still and focused, even though I am moving. It’s so different to the way that I feel when I have that scattered energy during phone scrolling, or during zoom breakout rooms. In this post, I wanted to say a little bit more about this state of creative flow.

What Is Creative Flow?

Coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the term flow describes a state of optimal experience where individuals are fully absorbed in an activity. In this state, there’s a balance between the challenge of the task and the individual’s skill level, leading to heightened focus and enjoyment. Csikszentmihalyi’s research highlights how flow contributes to increased happiness and creativity. If you want to go in-depth into the topic, the main text on this is “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

The Neuroscience Behind Creative Flow

Have a look at this page here for detailed information about the neuroscience of flow. I’ve also included some links below to some studies you can explore if you are interested in research into the flow state. Research from Drexel University’s Creativity Research Lab utilised neuroimaging to observe how the brain achieves creative flow. The findings suggest that during flow, there’s a unique pattern of brain activity that facilitates heightened creativity and focus. Understanding these mechanisms could help us better access and harness flow states.

Benefits of Creative Flow on Wellbeing

Engaging in creative flow has numerous benefits. For example it has been said to increase positive emotions, reduce anxiety, improve problem-solving. But one of the interesting aspects of it for me is how it seems to lead to a stillness within movement.

Stillness in Motion, Freedom in Focus

One of the most beautiful and paradoxical qualities of creative flow is the way it brings stillness in motion. On the surface, we may be moving, for example, our hands may be painting, our body dancing, our fingers typing, but inwardly, there’s a centred-ness and stillness. This is mindfulness in action. Where we are no longer split between past, future, and a thousand micro-decisions. We are simply here, in the moment, in sync with the task, not wrestling with ourselves and our surroundings. The usual inner chatter; self-doubt, comparison, planning, melts into the background, leaving only a meditative presence.

How to get into a state of flow

As lovely as it is to be in a flow state, I have noticed that it is not always easy to cross the threshold into it. Often, the first few moments of starting a creative activity can feel uncomfortable, awkward, even frustrating. This is normal, it is the threshold between scattered attention and deep focus, like a kind of creative turbulence before takeoff.

But, if you keep going through this resistance (the urge to scroll, clean the kitchen, check email), and allow yourself to stay with the process, something opens up. In the focus, there is a freedom. Why freedom? Because it can feel like we are severed from distraction and comparison. Freed from the fragmentation that can pull our energy in so many directions. Our energy is calmed and we are engaged, not just in what we’re doing, but in who we are while we do it.

Flow is like an antidote for our scattered attention.

Line drawing of car and music note on cream background

Cultivating Creative Flow

To invite more flow into your life, here are some steps you can take:

1. Choose an activity that feels like it both interests you and challenges you. For example, if you used to enjoy archery, just go grab the bag of equipment you used to use.

2. Set a first-step goal: Just get started with the smallest thing. This could be opening up the bag of equipment and sorting through it.

3. Allow yourself the moment to sort through the bag, put the phone on silent or in another room while you do this.

4. When you take a break from this, notice how it felt while you were engaged in that activity. Did you feel like you lost track of time a little? Did you like the way it felt? If you did, then allow yourself the time to do it again tomorrow or next week.

5. If you are not sure where to start or what activity would work for you right now, or you feel blocked, you could try free writing. Set your timer for 7 minutes and write out all the things that come to mind as you think about engaging in a creative activity. Keep going past the point of wanting to stop. For more about expressive writing and free writing, have a look here.