The Science of Finding Your Creative Flow

I often look back at the two year period, where I was working as a school teacher, raising a toddler and getting up early every morning to write and meditate . How did I do that?

How did I cultivate that belief in what’s possible? How did I consistently wake up at 4:30 AM? How did I produce interesting and novel creative work?And reflecting back, I’ll tell you honestly, it was not only easy, it was addictive.

Recently, I discovered why. Every morning that I woke up early, I entered a state of flow; I had unknowingly cultivated flow state in my life. Entering flow doesn’t require that you get up early, but it has 8 verified characteristics according to the father of “flow science” Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He was the head of the psychology department at the University of Chicago, and studied this for decades. I’ve interpreted them through the lens of writing:

1.       Clear Sense of Goals and Steps to those Goals

In life, there are all sorts of variables and we often question our decisions. When we’re in flow, we’re both inspired by the big picture and we’re clear about the steps that will take us there. I like to have at least a preliminary outline where I know what scenes or chapters need to be written. That doesn’t mean I know everything at the beginning, but the later parts clarify themselves as I take action on the first steps.

2.       Frequent Feedback

Another flow trigger is to get feedback while you’re writing. Don’t wait until your finished. Writer’s like Steve Kotler and Malcolm Gladwell toss there ideas out in conversations with friends and rate their reaction. I’m constantly sharing my own ideas in this group. All of my coaching clients get real-time feedback on their manuscripts from me. This keeps the work flowing!

3.       Your Skills are Matched to the Challenges

This is essential, and I’ve learned it the hard way many times. You want to set goals where you’re not in over your head, which produces anxiety, and you’re not bored because it’s too easy. Recognize your own patterns, which side of this spectrum do you fall on? Do you tend to be bored with your work, or are you constantly battling overwhelm? How could you make adjustments so you’re in the flow?

4.       Attention is Focused and the Rest of the World Disappears

We’ve all had this experience while reading a book, where all our problems disappear and we’re enveloped in the story. I think it’s even better when you’re writing. Usually our mind is full of chatter and menial distractions.  When you’re in flow you’re enveloped by the experience in front of you.

5.       Completely in the Moment

When you’re focused on what’s in front of you, your mind doesn’t jump to the future or past. As Eckhart Tolle would say, you’re totally present. You harness all of your consciousness.

6.       You’re Not Worried About Being Out of Control

This has to do with your level of confidence. As you continue to enter a flow state in a particular area, you build skills. Therefore you can feel that you have more control in your area of flow, than you do everyday life. An expert skier might have a better sense of control doing a relatively dangerous move, because of their level of skill and confidence. The same goes for writing.

7.       Lack of Self-Consciousness or Ego

When you’re in flow, the part of the brain that houses your critic is silenced. This has been demonstrated in labs repeatedly. Flow produces less neural activity, not more, much like meditation. This is why it’s a relatively egoless activity. Escaping the inner critic can be elusive at first, but as you develop your practice you can make it a habit. This doesn’t mean you think everything you do is great. Instead self-criticism is replaced by far more useful objectivity.

8.       Time Expands and Contracts

The part of your brain that houses your inner critic is also the part of your brain that calculates time. Therefore when you’re in flow, time simultaneously expands and contracts. You can produce pages in minutes, or you can enjoy yourself so much that it feels as if only minutes have passed, when really you’ve been writing for hours.

Just studying this stuff has me so inspired, and I can’t wait to incorporate it into the group all the more. These are the general characteristics of flow itself, but there are all kinds of lifestyle choices that help you cultivate it such as meditation and exercise. If you’re interested in learning more, let me know in the comments.