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May 01, 2022
As artists, we’ve probably all experienced it: Flow. That experience of losing track of time, being so caught up in artmaking, and forgetting all else. It’s a wonderful experience where the art seems to simply emanate effortlessly and there is joy in every brush stroke.
The 1990 book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes it as a time when the task or project at hand is challenging but is exactly equal to our skill level.
I’d love to make art in a flow state every day. But it can be tough to achieve. Here are some ideas that work for me.
SET THE STAGE - I clean paintbrushes and gesso at night so I can get up and go in the morning! Nothing stops motivation more than a half hour of cleaning and prepping. Sometimes I even paint a broad brush stroke before bed to pique my interest when I awake.
SET RULES - I’m more creative when I limit my palette or dictate only certain shapes in a painting. I got this idea from a TedTalk, “Embrace the Shake” where artist Phil Hansen developed a career-destroying tremor in his painting hand. Rather than throw in the towel he went on to create amazing art, as well as to inspire us all. https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&ei=UTF-8&p=embrace+the+shake+youtube+art+video&type=E211US885G0#id=1&vid=d3f0c955eaaa30ee8e04836f10a0baaf&action=click
DISTRACTIONS KILL - Instagram, Facebook, phone calls, etc… I turn ‘em off while making art and shut the door. Just me, my little dog Violet, and the canvas now.
TAKE YOUR GLASSES OFF - I tend to get caught up in the details and can’t see the big picture or idea. By squinting, or using a quilter’s eye tool, I can fix big areas and not obsess about the details too early in the painting process.
WAKE UP AT THE WITCHING HOUR - For some reason, I naturally wake up around 2:30 or 3:00 a.m. and often get my best ideas then. My wife wrote a telling Medium.com blog, “Bewitched from Alaska to Panama” about awakening early in the morning with personal epiphanies. https://melindamileslindberg.medium.com/bewitched-from-alaska-to-panama-28d761db30f1 Upon waking I journal these ideas and act on them in my next art session.
THINK LIKE A TEENAGER - As a teenager, I was more apt to act first and think later. Hiking 9 miles along a lonely highway at night to see a friend? Not smart. In the studio anyway, I give it a go, take risks, and make bold strokes, and big mistakes rather than small ones. Timidity is the enemy of flow.
SPEED UP! In the flow state, I work FAST! Slow meticulous work has its place, but the speed and lose painting tend to turn off my inner critic, and, well, let the creativity flow.
VARY YOUR SCHEDULE - Through trial and error, I found that I paint best in the early morning. I have energy and ideas flowing from my dreams the night before and not many distractions. I also guard this time fiercely. Don’t assume you’re a night owl. Have you experimented to see what time works for you?
INCENSE & MUSIC - Lavender incense, and jazz are triggers for me. When I smell lavender, it’s art time. And Stanley Turrentine's Saxophone classics or Bill Evans's piano jazz allows me to mellow and paint.
Have you had a flow experience? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a comment below and tell me what works for you.
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