Flow

Look at the absolute joy that Rum Tum Tugger is feeling right now as he is singing (and dancing) in the rain. He is experiencing the pleasure that comes from being creative. The late, great creativity scholar Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called these moments “Flow.” We experience flow when we are so absorbed in what we are doing that we lose track of time and forget everything else. It is possible to achieve flow in several different ways; athletes may call it being “in the zone”), but creativity is one of the most classic ways. People can enter flow playing music or brainstorming ideas or drawing or writing or just about anything.

Tips on reaching that thrilling rush of flow? One is to actively do something. As much as it can be fun to watch a show or play a video game or to doom scroll on your phone, it is rare to enter flow by being a consumer. Creativity is rarely passive. Another tip is to challenge yourself. Ideally, you will be trying to create something that is a little difficult for you to do. If it is too easy, you will get bored; if it is too hard, you will just feel frustrated. The key is try to find that magical place that is only a teeny bit out of reach.

Finding flow on a regular basis is not only fun in the moment. It is also associated with more long-term happiness, such as having purpose and meaning in your life. So if you’re on the fence about whether to start that new creative journey, go for it! If you keep it up, you can experience that same delight as our feline friend.