The Mama Judy and Jill Podcast

Episode 26: The Magic State of FLOW in the Creative Process

• Jill Gottenstrater

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Ever wonder why time flies when you're lost in art or how your artistic journey takes unexpected, yet gratifying turns?

This is the magical state of FLOW. Join us as we explore the the concept of flow state and its PROFOUND influence on your creativity.

While you can't force flow state, we'll share some practical techniques to create a conducive environment to induce flow state.  Press play to tune in now!

Click here to watch the episode mentioned on creating rituals, routines, and an environment to confidently create more art.

If you'd prefer to watch this podcast, you can find us over on our YouTube page (The Mama Judy & Jill Podcast).

We'd LOVE to hear from you! Click here to send us your thoughts and ideas for a future episode.

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Speaker 1:

Oh good, you made it. We are so glad you're here. Welcome to the Mama Judy and Jill podcast, an intergenerational chat about life, art and the creative process. I'm your host, Jill, and joining me is my wonderful co-host and bonus mom, Mama Judy. Let's get started Well, hi everyone.

Speaker 2:

We are so glad you're back here with us today. So last week, if you listened to the podcast, mama Judy and I talked about resistance. So this week we thought we'd turn it around a little bit and have some fun and talk about the flow state, being in the flow and especially as creatives, wouldn't you say, mama Judy? It's so fun and important as a creative to have those opportunities where you're in a flow state, absolutely.

Speaker 3:

I mean, as you were talking, I was thinking oh, I like flow so much better than resistance.

Speaker 2:

It just feels good, and you said I like being in flow rather than resistance. A state of flow is not just available at our beck and call either. There are things that we can do to help allow that state to come to us, so we can talk about that. But that is one thing. It's not just free for the taken, for everybody to have whenever they want it.

Speaker 3:

Darned, because if it was, we would have a whole world with peace, because we'd all be in the state of flow. Yes, but no, it isn't. And there are techniques for helping yourself get to that state. But, jill, do you have a good definition of flow?

Speaker 2:

Well, I, would say that flow is the state that you get into, where you're in intense focus and concentration. Time slips away when you're doing something, whether it's your writing or I guess you could be reading, you could be crafting, whatever you're doing artistically. But it's that intense focus, that where you just get into the flow of what you're doing and things are easy and great ideas are coming in. Things that you can't even imagine are taking place during this flow state. I know that's not a very technical term, but that's how I see it.

Speaker 3:

Well, we don't need a technical term because you're exactly right, that's what it is, and athletics are. In a lot of sports they call it being in the zone, and that's worth. Just like you said, time drops away. You're the only thing on the planet and you're so intensely focused on what you're doing. You know someone could come into the room or there could be something going on around you. You wouldn't even notice it because you're present in the moment of whatever you're doing. And it's almost like a state of grace, if I can use that word, because in that state you're closer to source, to soul, to your innate ability to create, than at any other time.

Speaker 3:

And you said that flow is not always available and we will talk about ways that you can help yourself. But when you, let's say, you're sitting down to do a project and you have ideas on what you want to do during that project, well, flow can hijack you. And I use that word, which doesn't seem like it should go with flow, and what I mean by that is, suddenly you're in a state of flow and everything that you had planned is no longer relevant. You go off in a totally different direction, but happily. You go there happily and you just feel wonderful about it, and when you get done, you step back. You could go. Well, gosh, that isn't what I had planned at all. So flow can at any time, even when you have something planned out.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and it's almost like a wave comes and you just kind of you get picked up by the wave and you're pulled along, and I love that the thought of using the word grace for this period too. Now, on the other hand though, mama Judy, another when I reached flow state with work. So when I'm writing and that kind of thing, and I hope to get into a flow state, I find that I'm able to get into that flow state, versus what you were just saying on the other flip side, where I have a plan so that I'm not distracted with, like, what do I do next? I have a specific plan, this is what I want to accomplish, and I allow myself, with my skills and my know-how and whatever, to dive in and know where I'm going and start, and then the keyboard is flying because I'm typing as I'm writing for work or something, and time disappears, and it's the same thing, but it's very goal-centered and planned out. So there's kind of two sides. We could look at it.

Speaker 3:

You are correct and that's generally, I think, from personal experience, what happens with flow, but just want to point out that flow doesn't necessarily give you what you thought you were going to start with, and so the whole point of this, in summary, is that flow is an intense state of creativity where you're so focused you just are not. You're almost like outside yourself. What else is doing it? Because you're so close to the source of creativity. Now I don't know, does that make sense? Was that clear?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense to me and I would say you know we mentioned the word intuition somewhere in here I find that when, as far as creatively outside writing which I love getting in flow with writing but with my stitching I am more likely to get in that flow state when I am doing intuitive stitching versus if I were to sit down and say, oh, I'm going to do like a try to make a landscape with some neat daisy stitches and specific stitches. You know that is just for me. But I have found when I just let the thread and the needle just go and I have no plan at all, that is when an hour can just pop up and it's like I've been stitching for an hour with no specific plan in place. But it's letting my intuition guide me too, and so that is a very much of a flow state in letting that intuition take you away.

Speaker 3:

And I think that's what my jumbled words were trying to explain is that when you're in that state of flow, there's no brain involved. In fact, that's one of the first things we can talk about is how do you encourage the state of flow? First of all, you quit thinking, and that's hard for humans to do, especially, I think, not just in our life, but in creativity because we have a plan of what we want to create and we want to do this Well. That gets our mind involved in the process. To have flow happen more often and more regularly, you have to quit thinking and, like you pointed out, jill, you sit down and you have your supplies. And it's the same exact thing with my mixed media.

Speaker 3:

In fact, I'll even say that recently for another friend, I've been trying to do something specific as far as art and I found that I struggled a little bit because I felt out of my element, and my element is an intuitive place. That's one reason I quit doing commissions is because with a commission, you have an end product. I like to create with no end product in mind. So you sit at your stitches, I sit with my mixed media and you pick it up, you hum to yourself, you put the music on, you quit thinking and you just let the intuition, the intuitive creative process, use your hands as a means to create something. You put the brain in it and it wants to take charge. It's kind of a bully.

Speaker 2:

Well, and it wants to take charge, or also it wants to judge what you're doing and you know, put some sort of judgment out there, letting the flow just take you where it needs wants to go.

Speaker 3:

That's an excellent point, because when you're in flow, there is no judgment, there is no criticism, there is no, I'm not good enough. There is only you in the creative process, and I think everybody out there that's ever experienced flow in any Form or for any link will agree with us that, boy, we'd all like to stay in that Low state, because if you're creating and the ego and the mind just hanging around on your shoulder, it is going to judge you, it is going to tell you, no, this isn't good or oh, that's not. I saw so-and-so and hers was better. So flow is that state that is, as we've already said, the closest to our source of creativity and that's why it's so wonderful, yes.

Speaker 2:

And another thing to sort of tag on to encourage that flow state is so no judgment, no thinking and no editing. And I know editing it sounds like, oh, a writer's word, but it's true. The minute I try to start editing my writing, or even editing our art, like going back, oh, I did that wrong, let me go back and fix it. Instead, just let the process go and you can always go back and do your editing later, whatever that looks to you, but in the moment the editing will stop that flow immediately.

Speaker 3:

Absolutely. You know the other thing, since we started talking about how do you encourage flow, we know we have to get the brain out of it. So even if you start your process with Just Clearing your mind and maybe 30 seconds of just deep breathing or something like that, to just kind of prepare yourself for no thinking or and I use the word humming and you know, of course I'm in my room doing this by myself so it doesn't bug anybody else but a lot of times I will just kind of hum, and it's not even a song, it's just like a mantra, it's a movement that my Vocal chords are doing that keeps the brain from entering the party. I was not invited. So when I do that, I start out and and that then Helps me get to that first point, because once you hit flow, wow, you're there. You don't have to do any more of this, unless you do what I did one time, which was I Went up. I'm in flow. Know what happened when I did that? Okay, flow goes. No, you're not. You just ruined it.

Speaker 2:

Well, and and when you just mentioned to, I was looking up a podcast episode we did its episode, number 12 how to create rituals, routines and environment to consistently make more art. So if you, if anyone, wants to go check out, you ever listen. That is another thing. You mentioned the breathing or even just introducing some of those things to put yourself In a good position, to be in a state of flow, whether that's lighting a candle, you know, having those little bit of rituals to allow yourself as well. And I don't know who the famous writer was, but they said in order to get into that flow state. They said it's so much better than this, but basically they said what I had to do is I just had to show up at my desk every day, you know, instead of like how am I gonna achieve flow? And trying to do all these things, instead you sit up. You sit down, put your butt down and start writing or start creating or whatever, and show up so that flow can Meet you. There, can find you, yes, can find you.

Speaker 3:

Find you if you don't show up first of all as and find you if your brain is talking too much. Flow is there, it's like. It's like Rick Rubin's description of the creative process it's always out there. Creativity never ceases to exist, no matter what we do, but we have to Create an environment that allows it to find us, to hook up with us. Yes, so, in addition to put your butt down, clear your mind, the other thing that helps with that is If you have some place that you can do your work without distractions. As I'm sitting there thinking about distractions, I'm going okay, I'm outside, I can hear the birds I don't know if anybody else on the podcast can hear the birds in the distance and all of a sudden, I'm listening to the birds instead of thinking about what I want to say on the podcast. Well, that's a distraction.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 3:

But then at the same time I thought wait a minute, but being in nature is a great place to find flow. So we have a conundrum Do I come out to nature and get distracted by the birds, or do I lock myself in my little five by five room and shut the door? It just depends. It really doesn't say that you have to go to any one place. You could be sitting at the kitchen table. The whole point is to get to where you don't let external movement, external sound, distract you to the point that now you begin to think Right, if I can achieve a state of flow out here with these birds in the background, I won't hear them because I'm in flow. When you're in flow, the world does not exist. If you hear the world like the water my neighbor's water just came on If I were to hear that when I'm in flow, I'm no longer in flow. So it's a very delicate thing.

Speaker 3:

And yet you can make it stronger, you can achieve a point where, if you set the right environment and you, like your writer said, like you said, if you show up time after time after time, the more flow finds you, the more often it will show up because it knows you're going to be there, right.

Speaker 2:

And another thing I want to add is you see people in coffee shops working on their computers and writing, doing things like that, and so that is another place where it seems like it would be so distracting. But I have worked in a coffee shop when I've been traveling, or a co-working space, and I was able to get into that flow state too, although there were lots of distractions. But you have to put your mind to it that I'm going to block distractions. I am here. Same thing when I'm on an airplane there's all this stuff going on, but sort of with that white noise and with the intention of getting into what I'm doing, I've been able to get in the flow state on an airplane too, doing writing anyway.

Speaker 3:

Okay, let me ask you one question Was that a state of flow or was that just deep concentration on what you're doing? Because there is a difference.

Speaker 2:

Tell me the difference. I don't know. I would have thought I was in flow and I'm probably audience.

Speaker 3:

I'm probably splitting fine hairs. But deep concentration I can be somewhere and concentrating and I might still hear the distractions and the background noises, but I'm concentrating enough that I can get beyond them. But when I'm in a state of flow, it's even beyond deep concentration. It is that next level. It's like going down into a cellar. You go down deeper and deeper into concentration until you don't have to concentrate anymore. You just do, you just flow. So again, I know I'm splitting hairs, but there is a difference between deep concentration and flow. Anybody that's been in flow will know what I'm talking about. You know what I'm talking about. Yes, it's just, it's almost euphoric to be in a state of flow and it puts you in a place that you're so connected that nothing else exists. I know I'm getting a little excited here. I'm going. God, I need you to go in and sit at my desk. Maybe flow will show up. For today.

Speaker 2:

I do find sometimes, when I'm in the state of flow, that I find myself smiling, just smiling to myself, because I'm so happy and I'm just excited, and it's more Giddy I have it with writing. Yeah, I'm giddy, yeah it's really fun.

Speaker 3:

Yep, you know, what I love about flow is when I come out of it and this has happened several times I don't remember creating. I will get up when the flow, and sometimes it will just naturally run its course for that day, and when it is, I'll stop and I'll get up and I'll look at the pages and I'll go. I don't remember doing them, which is really an interesting thing. Or if I get up and I leave the room and I come back and I look at them and go, well, I wonder who created those, because it wasn't me. I mean, really, that is just so, so powerful to me. Can you tell a rather fond of flow?

Speaker 2:

Okay. So to recap, as people are listening here, what are some things to think about if you want to put yourself in a way for flow to happen to you with you. So, brain off in a way yes, the thinking part of us. Okay, what's the next one? Well, first of all, we have to put our butt in the seat. Yeah, show up Button, the seat brain off.

Speaker 3:

And, of course, limit distractions. Yes, and then from that point, it's just do it.

Speaker 2:

Do it, no judgment and no editing.

Speaker 3:

And just probably after this podcast, the biggest thing that I will have to do is remember I cannot force flow to show up. I cannot put my butt in the seat, clear my mind and think okay, here comes flow, we're going to do great. You put your butt in the seat, you limit the distractions, turn off your brain, and then you just pick up your supplies and go. No, this phrase we all hear go with the flow, baby. So you might just have a nice easy session or you might find yourself dropping into that euphoric state of grace that we're calling flow.

Speaker 2:

And pay attention, if you do, when you come out of flow. Maybe there was something that you set it up like oh, I realized that I did say a little prayer beforehand or I took some deep breaths or a little candle, like pay attention to those things too, because those could be clues that are helping flow show up as you show up as well.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it just occurred to me. Flow, of course, is spelled F-L-O-W and it means movement, but I have this vision of me walking into the doorway of my little art area in the office asking flow, f-l-o. Okay, flow, here we go. So we have to. It's okay to personalize it, kind of make lighthearted of a very wonderful process. Yes, and to your advantage, and if you have not experienced that feeling that we're talking about, we cannot guarantee you this is not a 30-day money back guarantee thing that you can show, get flow. But if you follow those things we've talked about, I don't know what the splashing for those of you watching on this wall behind me is occasionally, for those of you not watching, it doesn't matter. Anyway, it distracted me. She got out of her state of podcast flow.

Speaker 3:

I got out of flow, but when you, we can't guarantee that any of us are going to show up for flow. But those habits that you talked about, jill, in recapping this will certainly not only help you get closer to a state of flow, but if you think about it, no matter what the outcome is, that's what's going to have it help your creative process. So again, I'll ask Jill to recap those few things.

Speaker 2:

Okay, but in the seat, to show up, distraction free, no thinking, do the work and then, as you're doing that, no judging, no editing, let things happen. Maybe set yourself up for some success beforehand by doing some deep breathing, saying a prayer, lighting a candle, something like that to set the tone and just show up and do the work. And also don't judge yourself that oh my gosh, how come I can't have the flow, like we were saying. It's not anything to be forced, just keep enjoying, because obviously we enjoy creating even when we're not in the flow state, aren't we lucky? It's just that that's that extra little bit of yumminess that happens to people.

Speaker 3:

Perfect description. I couldn't have said it better.

Speaker 2:

Okay, well, I'm definitely going to try to get into the flow state this week, or be I'm going to be available to the flow state this week as I sit my bet in my studio. How about you? I am?

Speaker 3:

I'm going to walk in at the doorway and say to flow, feel free to show up whenever you want. I'll try to help you along.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I think I'm going to start calling her flow to a, why not? Okay, well, thanks for joining us today. Everyone. We really appreciate it. We would love it if you would share this podcast episode. You can share a link or forward it to someone, because you know we want all of our friends and our family and acquaintances to be in a state of flow also, so maybe they need to hear something today. So, thank you so much and it was good chat with you. Mama Judy, love you. Love you too. Talk to you later. Bye.