That’s when I told my parents I wanted to play violin.”Īfter years of experience working with her own creative process, Allen knows all too well the affects of flow on her work. “I have a profound memory of hearing a performance by the Cleveland Orchestra when I was about five years old and the force of the music pinning me to the back of the chair. “Concerts are group flow experiences,” she says. So much so that today, her work revolves around teaching teams and individuals on how to get into the flow state.Īllen attributes her passion for the violin with her first experience of a flow state when attending a concert as a child. Getting into flow, or “flow experiences” as she calls them, have been formative to her career. “Flow state is important because it helps you access creativity, whatever form that comes in,” she says about the significance of the process itself, whether you’re painting a canvas or putting together a spreadsheet.ĭiane Allen has been playing violin for over 50 years and was the lead violin and concertmaster of the Central Oregon Symphony. ![]() It takes time and focus to get to that point.”Īs an entrepreneur in addition to being an artist, Keeling notes that a flow state isn’t only reserved for when she’s working on her art-it can happen when she’s working on the business side, too. “It’s when I get into flow that the structure and the details begin to form and it really becomes the painting it’s supposed to be. “When I start a painting, I’m not thinking about where it’s going-I’m just adding layers of color,” she says. Then, the actual work begins-but getting into that flow state doesn’t necessarily happen right away. Once the initial stage is set, part of Keeling’s creative routine is telling her brain “hey, it’s time to create.” Simple things like a cup of hot tea, putting on her apron, setting up her studio, and putting paint on her palette act as a series of levers to turn up the dial on her work day and get her in the right creative headspace. “It helps me come into the present moment and sets the stage for my day so I can ease into creativity.” “I’ve built a strong foundation of habits that help me access that calmness I need to be my most creative and put more of myself into my art.” On an ideal day, she starts by giving herself some time for breathing and movement-whether that’s doing a little bit of yoga or going on a walk with her dog. “I’ve learned that accessing creative flow starts with feeling grounded,” she says. As a full-time artist who also experiences anxiety, getting into flow is pivotal to her process. Now, she’s the founder and owner of her own business, Art Within. Lindsay Keeling left her corporate marketing job after experiencing intense burnout. Experts in flow in their own right, three artists shared their strategies for other creatives-or anyone in search of more focus-on getting out of their own heads and sinking into their most creative selves. Getting into this mindset is easier said than done, though-especially as modern work comes with more and more distractions.įor artists like Allen, tapping into this state is baked into their process, whether that’s giving structure to a routine, understanding what triggers their own flow, or finding smart ways to reduce interruptions. Most tasks beyond the check-list type actions require some degree of deep thinking, which is when tapping into flow is most helpful. ![]() ![]() However, anyone from artists to knowledge workers can benefit from this phenomenon. When you’re in flow, hours feel like minutes, and all your ideas can feel like magic.įlow is often associated with creative work because it silences the pesky inner critic that is the enemy of creativity, allowing people to express themselves with confidence. It generates intense concentration, inspiration, and confidence in one’s work-and a lost sense of time and space. “There's a positive feedback loop where the more you get into what you’re doing, the more you get out of it, and the more you get out of it, the more you get into it,” she says, describing a feature of the psychological state often described as “flow.”įirst coined in 1990 by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow happens when a person is deeply focused on a specific task. ![]() Musician Diane Allen knows when she’s hit a rhythm in her creative process.
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