ChasingTheFlow

Description of "The Flow"

This post by Oren Teich, while interesting in its entirety (particularly for those interested in software development), surprised me with a particularly apt description of “The Flow” — the inspiration behind this blog. I’ve excerpted this section below.

Individual creatives are aiming for flow. Cranking out code, art, words. Just hammering away. In one session of good flow state I get more done than in weeks of fits and starts at work. Everyone has their own path to getting to flow. Some put on the headphones, wear a hoodie, and disappear into their computer. Go to a coffee shop, let the white noise wash over you, and get into the zone. Sometimes though, the conditions are right, but the project isn’t willing.

Blog posts, software development, homework: we are all familiar with the experience of working incredibly ‘hard’, but just not getting anywhere. 20 hours in, and you just don’t feel like you have a sense for how to even begin to tackle the project. flow has it’s own conditions. Without clear understanding of goals, you aren’t getting anywhere. Goals don’t come from flow. They come from somewhere else. When you’re creating, working on something innovative, they often seem to come from the subconscious. When you’re stuck, and don’t have a clear sense of the goal, if you’re lucky, you walk away. You take a break. Maybe for 30 min. Maybe for a month or longer. And something happens. A shift. A new angle. A comment. Inspiration. You can pick the project back up again, and now you’ve got traction. You can push just as hard and make some real progress. You personally can get into flow. Your project can pick up momentum.

Momentum is fickle. It’s not something you can predict, store, save, and spend. Some projects are real bastards – they get stuck just when you think you’re making the most progress. Sometimes you need to put it down and pick it up 6 times over 13 months before you finally cross the finish line. Some projects get momentum from the second you sit down, and one night later you’ve launched.

A further explanation of the topic can be found here.