Creative Flow – What is it, Exactly?
Flow is life – it is the movement in all things. It rides on the limitless space that supports each moment in the eternal now. To tap into the creative Flow, we must remove ourselves from the egoic monkey mind and merge with our surroundings. We must let go of ideas, of concepts, and fall in love with the moment.
A great way to access the creative Flow is to have a daily meditation or mindfulness practice. If done correctly, meditation affects our whole day in a positive way, making our minds more fluid and pliable, more smooth and flowy. Through meditation, we can learn to drop into the bliss of our Flow at any moment, regardless of what is happening around us.
Creative Flow is the thing that happens to us when we lose ourselves in our artful endeavors. We become very present, but not in the usual way that involves the cognitive faculties. This kind of presence attends to the beauty of each moment; it’s awake to every tiny opportunity to create something anew, to expand ourselves in unique and magical ways. As we Flow in our creativity, we experience a state of personal harmony, of free-flowing spontaneity that affects all of those around us.
When we tap into the body with our awareness, aligning the mind and the body together, Creative Flow happens very easily, almost effortlessly. We can instantly feel this when we connect in this way – it becomes blissful and easeful, and the longer we stay connected, the deeper and richer our experience becomes.
An easy way to tap into your creative Flow:
1. Sit in a quiet place with your back straight, with eyes open or closed.
2. Feel through your whole body going slowly from head to toe. Then feel the whole body at once, as if it is just one thing, a unified whole.
3. Now pay attention to all of the movement that is happening inside your body – your heart beat, your breath expanding and contracting, your pulse, and so on.
4. Stay present in this way – feeling the creative Flow, the effortless movement and synchronicity of everything happening inside the body, until you feel blissful and at ease.
Here’s a great quote by
“Try to be surprised by something every day. It could be something you see, hear, or read about. Stop to look at the unusual car parked at the curb, taste the new item on the cafeteria menu, actually listen to your colleague at the office. How is this different from other similar cars, dishes or conversations? What is its essence? Don’t assume that you already know what these things are all about, or that even if you knew them, they wouldn’t matter anyway. Experience this once thing for what it is, not what you think it is. Be open to what the world is telling you. Life is nothing more than a stream of experiences – the more widely and deeply you swim in it, the richer your life will be.”
― Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention
Remember: creative flow is simple, because it is our very own nature. We don’t need to go outside of ourselves to get it. We only need to uncover it, to clear away the cobwebs of our resistance and our negative emotions. We are THAT.