How to access creative flow more reliably
Happy Sunday,
Have you ever been so absorbed in an activity that time seemed to disappear? Perhaps you were playing music, writing, painting, or even cooking; completely immersed in the moment, feeling both challenged and capable. That magical state is what psychologists call “flow,” and today I want to chat about something that could perhaps enhance your experience of flow: flow triggers.
What Are Flow Triggers?
Flow triggers are specific conditions that help guide us into complete absorption and heightened creativity. Think of them as the doorways into your most productive, fulfilling creative sessions.
As pioneering flow researcher Steven Kotler explains in his work, these triggers fall into four main categories:
Psychological Triggers
Clear goals with immediate feedback
The challenge-skills balance (working at the edge of your abilities)
Complete concentration in the present moment
The paradox of control; feeling in control while taking risks
Environmental Triggers
High consequences (real or perceived stakes that demand attention)
Deep embodiment (fully engaging your physical senses)
Rich environment (complex surroundings that captivate attention)
Social Triggers
Serious concentration (collective focus)
Shared goals and risk-taking
Close listening (deep, attentive communication)
Familiarity (shared language and understanding)
Creative Triggers
Pattern recognition (spotting new connections)
Risk-taking (embracing uncertainty)
Complexity (wrestling with multifaceted problems)
Understanding your personal flow triggers can be transformative, especially during midlife when creative practice often takes a back seat to other responsibilities. As Kotler notes, recognising and deliberately activating these triggers can help us access flow more reliably, turning what might seem like rare, magical moments into repeatable experiences that enhance our creativity and wellbeing.
Join Me Today for Fifteen Minutes of Flow LIVE
I’m delighted to invite you to today’s Fifteen Minutes of Flow LIVE session at 7.30pm (UK time), where we’ll put these concepts into practice.
How Our Session Will Unfold:
Introduction & Flow Fundamentals (5 minutes)
We’ll begin with a brief discussion of flow states and today’s specific triggers. This creates the psychological trigger of clear goals; your brain knows exactly what to expect.
Setup & Practice (7 minutes)
You’ll prepare your creative space and materials. This activates the environmental trigger of rich environment and the psychological trigger of challenge-skills balance.
Pause & Check-in (3 minutes)
A moment to centre yourself and set clear intentions. This creates the psychological trigger of complete concentration in the present moment.
Fifteen Minutes of Flow (15 minutes)
The core practice time where you’ll engage with your chosen creative activity. The time constraint itself creates the perfect balance of pressure and freedom.
Reflection & Sharing (5 minutes)
An opportunity to notice what helped you drop into flow. This activates the social trigger of close listening and provides immediate feedback.
Optional Journaling (7 minutes)
Document your experience to strengthen neural pathways. This engages the creative trigger of pattern recognition as you process your experience.
Potential flow triggers:
Clear Goals with Immediate Feedback – The structured 15-minute timeframe creates a defined container for your creativity, encouraging you to trust your instincts rather than overthinking.
The Challenge-Skills Balance – Working within a time constraint naturally creates the perfect level of healthy pressure, enough to engage you fully without triggering anxiety.
Complete Concentration – Our shared focus creates a special atmosphere that helps quiet the mental chatter and self-consciousness that often blocks creative flow.
Safe Environment for Risk-Taking – The group setting activates powerful social triggers, shared commitment and collective focus, while the optional camera-off policy creates a psychologically safe space to experiment.
As Kotler demonstrates in his research on peak performers across age groups, midlife brings unique advantages for flow states: deeper pattern recognition from decades of experience, greater emotional regulation, and often a clearer sense of purpose. These aren’t your twilight years, they’re potentially your most creative and impactful ones.
What to expect:
A safe, supportive space to reconnect with your creativity
Gentle guidance to help you notice your personal flow triggers
No pressure to appear on camera, only I will be visible
A precious moment carved out just for your creative wellbeing
Connection with others on similar creative journeys
Whether you’ve been meaning to dust off your sketchbook, pick up that half-finished poem, or get your head around how to use that sewing machine, this session provides the accountability and structure to make it happen.
Why Fifteen Minutes?
Even brief creative sessions can activate flow triggers and reconnect us with our artistic selves. Fifteen focused minutes can:
Help us focus and over-ride blocks
Establish sustainable and regular habits
Provide a pre-Monday mood boost if you do it on a Sunday
Help us quickly tune back into the joy that creative expression brings
My Own Creative Journey
I wanted to share a bit about my own recent creative practice, as I’ve been applying these same flow principles to reconnect with my guitar.
Last week, after years of my guitar sitting untouched in its case, I finally took the first small step, simply getting it out, dusting it off, and tuning it. Just feeling those strings under my fingers again and hearing those first few chords was surprisingly emotional. Today, during our session, I’ll be continuing this journey by finding my plectrum, changing the strings, and giving it a proper clean.
I’m sharing this because it illustrates perfectly how breaking down creative reconnection into small, manageable steps can make it feel possible again. I’ll be documenting my process live during our session, so you can see that I’m right there alongside you, rediscovering my own creative flow triggers.
This approach has reminded me that we don’t need to wait for perfect conditions or huge blocks of time to reconnect with our creativity.
Kotler’s research on high performers reveals something fascinating: flow isn’t just for the young or those with unlimited time. In fact, the time constraints and rich life experience we navigate in midlife can actually enhance our capacity for flow when properly channelled. As he notes in “The Art of Impossible,” constraints often drive creativity rather than hindering it.
Many of history’s most innovative creators produced their groundbreaking work not in their youth, but in their 40s, 50s, and beyond, often precisely because they had mastered the art of dropping into flow efficiently, without the luxury of endless hours.
Moments of flow can become not just pleasant diversions, but essential practices for wellbeing, balance, and continuing personal evolution. They remind us that our creative journey is still unfolding, with potentially our most meaningful work still ahead.
I look forward to seeing you later today. Until then, perhaps take a moment to consider: what activity has been calling to your creative spirit lately? Which flow triggers might help you reconnect with it?
Ready to Experience Flow Today?
Here’s How to Join Us:
Join Our Facebook Group – For ongoing connection, support, and flow-focused community, join our dedicated Facebook Group FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FLOW. All session links will be posted there, along with additional resources and discussions.
Subscribe to My YouTube Channel – The live session will be streamed on my YouTube channel. Subscribe to THE WEEKLY FLOW PROCESS and click the notification bell to be alerted when we go live.
Mark Your Calendar – Today’s session begins at 7.30pm (UK time). All you’ll need is:
Your chosen creative materials (whatever speaks to you today)
A quiet space where you can focus for 30-45 minutes
A willingness to experiment with your creative process
How to Prepare for Maximum Flow
To make the most of our session today:
Choose your creative medium in advance – Whether it’s sketching, writing, playing an instrument, knitting, or any other creative pursuit, having your materials ready will activate the environmental trigger of a rich environment.
Create a distraction-free zone – Silence notifications, close unnecessary browser tabs, and let others in your household know you’ll need 45 minutes of uninterrupted time.
Set a small, achievable goal – Rather than planning to create a masterpiece, decide on something modest you’d like to accomplish during our 15 minutes of flow time. This activates the psychological trigger of clear goals.
Consider what has previously helped you focus – Perhaps it’s a particular room, background music, or certain time of day. Try to recreate these conditions if possible.
Arrive 5 minutes early – This gives you time to settle in, check your technology, and transition mentally from your day into a creative mindset.
Coming Next Week: Overcoming Flow Blockers
Ever wondered why flow feels so elusive sometimes? Next week, we’ll explore the common barriers that prevent us from accessing flow states, especially those unique to midlife, and practical strategies to overcome them. I’ll share insights from neuroscience about why our busy, distraction-filled modern lives work against flow, and how small adjustments to your creative environment and mindset can make all the difference.
See you next week!
Donna x
