Most of us have experienced flow when we are so focused on a task, that a few hours seem like only minutes have passed. Flow, or being in the zone is the holy grail of productivity, especially for artists. These are often the best moments in our practice. The state of flow often happens by chance or pure luck, but we treasure it, and we seek to tap into it more often.
I was, and perhaps still am a struggling artist. I have experienced burnt out countless times in my few years of being a creative. Being blocked, stuck, disappointed at my artistic output. Feeling like my creativity is flat. In the past, so often I found drugs as an answer.
I don’t promote the use of drugs, yet I don’t regret my experience. It opened my mind to endless possibilities and showed me I’m capable of much more than this reality. Yet, (this post is not about drugs, no worries), after some time, I felt dependent on it, so I stopped. Then goes the stream of doubting my ability to create. Disappointed thinking I can’t be an artist without all these drugs. I missed the euphoria in the brain, the creative process, fearless of the outcome. I missed the flow.
At one point along my journey, I finally gained different perspectives on this whole thing. I’m grateful to never give up on myself. I learn that it is actually a practice to get into the flow only if I’m patient with myself, and willing to recognize my capabilities, which is also a solid first step.
1.Surrender
Society, for the longest time, have been telling us to make plans, to be responsible for our futures. As a result, we forget the present.
“The present is the only real-time. There is no past, and there isn't a future, and there never will be."
-- Alan Watts --
We have all experienced events in life when you try to take too much control, things would never go as planned. Yet we complain about such crazy lives we live, and that we can’t find peace.
If we think about it, the soul works harder than our minds and our hands if we don’t intentionally let it rest. We constantly worry about the past and the future, what we have done and haven’t done for ourselves, for this world. Guess what, we are not that important. The Universe created us along with beautiful landscapes and amazing plants and animals. The world out there is so big and wonderful that we’re one tiny creation among them. So flow, my friends, and let the Universe take the lead.
2. Transform fear into trust
Imagine getting on a roller coaster (forced by a friend, or not). Once you sit down and buckle up, you let go of controlling the situation. At this point, would you choose excitement, or fear?
For me, it’s fear for sure. (The relationship between me and roller coasters is pure hatred, and funny how it represents so many aspects of our lives). But, my heart would feel lighter if I tell myself: “Trust the engineer behind this ugly thing, I will reach the end in no time.” And really, at the end is satisfaction, a sense of fulfillment.
If you are in no control of the things that may or may not happen, you might as well trust, regardless of the outcome. Only when you learn to trust, your thoughts slow down. You are relaxed and use only the strength you need to reach the goals faster and better. Every action matters, and only you matter.
Stop speeding around, learn to trust the process.
3. Start an everyday practice
This topic deserves its own post. Here I would like to share some practices that work for me.
First, remember to breathe.
Here’s something I believe (which may sound quite depressing for some): It’s me and myself as my loyal companion from day one till the day I die. We sometimes wander around the world looking for a place called home to find comfort. Home is actually ourselves, our souls. The only thing that could bring us home is our breath. Slow down, breathe, and return home to yourself.
Practice prioritize how you feel above all else.
If you don’t feel like being in the zone right now, don’t force it. Whatever emotions there are, be aware of them and respect. Respect your body, respect your soul. If you want to be grumpy, take out a pen, and be grumpy with the paper. Jotting everything down has helped me a lot when dealing with heavy emotions like depression, anger, loneliness, etc. Practice free flow journaling is also a practice of being in the zone.
Learn the feeling of rightness inside us.
Teach your consciousness what feels right. Put your hand on your chest, feel the tingle in the heart when you think of a happy and fulfilling memory. Remember the feeling, the pulse of your heart, and recognize it when it shows up. Know that you are not in control of life, yet you are in control of how you react to life. Act on what feels right, be brave to skip what doesn’t.
Treasure the ideas, and act fast.
Ideas come and go, and as creatives, there are many times when an idea pops up and you feel brilliant about it. But if you save it and do nothing, the next day it won’t be so brilliant anymore. After reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” (highly recommend), I believe ideas may travel from one creative to another, fast. So claim it, act on it, don’t let the excitement fade away, just go with the flow, and be excited about the outcome. It might come out to be something you’re proud of, or it might not. What’s important is that you consciously put yourself in a state of flow.
“Ideas are driven by a single impulse: to be made manifest.”
Elizabeth Gilbert, "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear"
4. Flow is the way of life
Last but not least, something to be mindful of is to start thinking that flow is not a single task, but the rest of your life.
For me, it’s quite satisfying to think at one point, everything I do will be joy, not tasks. If you’ve ever flowed before, you know how much your heart enjoys it. Imagine it’s your way of life. Every moment of the day is an opportunity for you to be in alignment with yourself and other things. Remember all the practice above, then one day it will not be practice anymore.
Yet again, don’t forget nothing is as important as you and the health of your heart. Be patient and give it time. Flow comes naturally to you, and you let your heart flow.
“Let life flow naturally, for life’s secret is patience; you must stop pushing for change and allow things to unfold.”
Leon Brown
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