Moodling and flow
Flowing in and out of the boredom zone
Hello, fellow Moodlers. How is life in your part of the world? As it's Friday already, I thought I'd pop on here and say hi. This post is mostly about the art on one of my well-being cards, but it’s also about “flow” - obviously!
The card art
This little "Find Flow" card is number three in my set of 50 handmade, well-being cards. Blue and yellow are not my normal colour palette, but there's something so fresh about them together, don't you think?
This little piece started out with a flowing line made with watercolour pencil, and then I added the colours using Caran D'Ache watercolour crayons around the line and shape.
I've written a few messages to myself on the back of the card which are meant to remind me about the flow of life!
Find the river and say yes to its flow - rapids and all
Pay close attention to the flow of life
I've also jotted down some of what it feels like to "be in flow" from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This Hungarian-American psychologist was the first to identify and research flow, has written a number of books on the subject and is considered to be one of the co-founders of positive psychology. Being in flow, finding flow, flow state - all similar terms for what we used to call "being in the zone". Essentially they're a way of describing those moments when you’re completely absorbed in a challenging but doable task. I'm not going to delve into the fascinating details about this at the moment, but if you Google "what is flow state" you'll get a heap of results and definitions!
I've made a page in my zine this week that relates to flow with the words "finding your flow" that I cut out of a magazine. I love how these little, subtle messages pop up spontaneously to make us newly aware of something we may know but have forgotten!
My relationship with “flow”
I have an awkward relationship with "flow" at the moment. Sometimes I can get into that space and time passes without me knowing - mostly when I'm making art to be honest!
But often, I feel a tad bored, rather than engaged. I believe the Boredom zone is where there we have the skill, but there is no challenge - this is definitely how I feel about my creative photography practice just now. Although, having said that, when I’m out on a moodle, I can quite easily get into the flow state by taking photos. It’s just when I get home, I don’t know what to do with them all!
What's your relationship with flow like at the moment? Does it happen easily or not at all?
That’s all for now. I hope that life flows smoothly for you this weekend.
If you want to find out a bit more about the project and a little bit of backstory, head to the About page.
I have a feeling my flow has taken a long vacation with my mojo Debs... I can lose hours at a time out walking with my camera and return only to wonder what exactly excites me... it seems to be a very much ‘right here and now’ emotion which I cannot replicate within the four walls of my home - no matter how I try..!