Brain Experiments Reveal Ways To Develop Creative Flow States, or, Why Your Brain Needs Creative Writing Coaching
https://www.sciencealert.com/brain-imaging-experiment-reveals-the-secret-behind-creative-flow
Whether or not you sign up for my coaching, this is very important.
Creative people, in fact anyone that does anything that has creative elements, can get into a "flow state". Essentially, this is being in the Zone. You start working, you lose track of time, the world, and you are in a different world.
Neurodivergents experience this easily. I do. Sometimes I can't control it.
But this experiment points to what exactly helps bring about creative flow:
The study points to two key factors underpinning the state of creative flow: extensive experience in an activity, and the relinquishing of conscious control.
Relinquishing conscious control is the tough one here. This can be taught. I have exercises that can develop this, but it's difficult. People, generally, don't want to let go. Not because they're afraid someone will mess with them, but because of what may come out. Scary, scary shit can come out.
As far as "extensive experience" goes, this is straightforward:
"A practical implication of these results is that productive flow states can be attained by practice to build up expertise in a particular creative outlet coupled with training to withdraw conscious control when enough expertise has been achieved," Kounios says. "This can be the basis for new techniques for instructing people to produce creative ideas."
Do what you want to do repeatedly. Put in the "10,000 hours" required to achieve mastery. If you're writing, write all the time. Don't hold back. Don't hesitate. Keep writing even if it's shit.
But writing isn't the only way to attain expertise. No, I should put it this way: writing short stories, plays, and novels aren't the only way to attain expertise.
Creative writing coaching is a way. It's easier because you don't have to write a huge work. You can do it in bite sized chunks. It's easier on the attention span. You create bits and pieces of things that can be developed later.
Contact me if you'd like to give it a free try. Rates variable depending on need.
