I constantly question myself while I’m working. This practice is both a blessing and a curse. I might catch a lot of mistakes, but it slows me down and hinders my creativity. However, when I enter “the zone,” there is nothing but my work. Each idea and decision feels like breathing. It flows together like a perfectly orchestrated piece of music. I am gone. There is no time. Only my art remains.
After I made the decision to force myself out of my artist block I was happy to be working again. Although I was no longer stagnant, I seemed to be missing a certain spark. A feeling that I had countless times before, but could not seem to access. I did a bit of research on what this feeling even was and came across the term “flow state.” It described perfectly this spark I was looking for. Since I was a kid I had been able to access this extreme concentration that made everything around me melt away. It allowed me to only focus on drawing, writing, or designing. I had felt it in college too while creating my demo reel. The long hours spent in the labs animating never felt long enough.
Entering your flow state sounds like a fantastical super power, but science is beginning to understand what is happening to artists, athletes, and scientists when they “enter the zone.” According to Psychology Today during these periods of “flow” the prefrontal cortex is temporarily deactivated causing a person to lose their sense of self. The inner critic and voice of doubt also shut off. This elicits a heightened sense of confidence. Additionally the brain releases a number of chemicals associated with focus, pleasure, and optimal performance. All of these factors induce a boom in creative output.
Accessing this allusive flow state isn’t easy. It requires both physical and mental practice. I slowly began noticing my own flow being triggered again after a few weeks of hard work. It’s not something that I can just turn on like a light switch. I have to be relaxed and consciously tell myself to stop having so much doubt in my own abilities. I started observing what helped me trigger a flow state. Personally, a good long hike in the woods followed by a perfectly brewed cup of coffee seems to do trick. I suspect that hacking your flow state is a different experience for everyone. I have completed some of my best works during flow states and find myself feeling refreshed and more alert for days after. To me it is simply a form of artistic meditation.
If you are interested in learning more about flow states check out these awesome links. You may know Jason Silva From National Geographic’s Brain Games. He also has a YouTube Channel partnered with TestTube called Shots of Awe where he covers topics like creative flow states. He can get a bit carried away sometimes, but I love his passion.
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