| Most of us find it hard to imagine bestselling authors | | | | could only write extremely simple, extremely familiar |
| struggling with their manuscripts or suffering from | | | | words, like your name.) |
| writers block. Instead we assume they have | | | | Brain Lateralization |
| something special we have to find or develop, and | | | | Both sides of your brain work together at all times, |
| we search in vain for the magical formula. | | | | but as your brain developed when you were a child, |
| In reality, that wonderful state in which the words | | | | it lateralized functions. In other words, it placed the |
| just flow from our fingers is caused by certain kinds | | | | control centers for some functions on the right side, |
| of brain activation--which means theres nothing | | | | and the control centers for others on the left. |
| mystical about it. You can still enjoy the euphoria of | | | | People's brains are organized in similar ways, so we |
| being in that state, but better understanding whats | | | | can point to a diagram like the one to the right and |
| happening while youre there--or while youre | | | | say with relative certainty that your brain is organized |
| having trouble getting there--can help you increase | | | | this way, too. |
| your ability to get there at will. | | | | Musicians use the left lobe to listen to music, and |
| Mihaly Csikszentmiihalyi | | | | non-musicians use the rightthat's a good example |
| Coined by a psychologist named Mihaly | | | | of how experience can change brain organization. |
| Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced ME-high | | | | Musicians can hear and identify the logical parts to |
| CHICK-sent-me-high), the term "flow" refers to that | | | | music; others usually just listen for enjoyment. |
| perfect creative state. Sometimes it feels like | | | | Broca's (pronounced BROKE-ah) area is a specialized |
| someone (the "muse") is whispering in your ear, or | | | | part of the brain in the left frontal lobe responsible |
| like you're channeling someone or something else, or | | | | for language and speech production. Sometimes, |
| even that you're just writing down "what's really | | | | after a stroke, patients cannot speak until they've |
| happening" in your fictional world. Some writers have | | | | worked with a speech therapist. That's because |
| even returned to their desks to find wonderful | | | | Broca's area was affected by the stroke. |
| material in their own handwriting that they have no | | | | Wernicke's (pronounced WER-nik-ee) area is a |
| memory of producing. | | | | specialized part of the brain in the left temporal (side) |
| Flow" is actually a way of referring to creative | | | | lobe responsible for language comprehension. |
| dissociation, and dissociation is a natural phenomenon | | | | The Critic and the Muse Don't Get Along |
| in which some parts of the brain disengage or "split" | | | | Unfortunately, the left frontal part of the brain is also |
| away from others. It's what happens when you don't | | | | responsible for that little voice that's trying to edit |
| remember your drive somewhere because you've | | | | while you write, and creative drive is actually much |
| been thinking about someone else, or you miss out | | | | more strongly correlated with good creative output |
| on part of a conversation because you're | | | | than skill. |
| daydreaming, or time flies by because you're enjoying | | | | In other words, if your brain functions normally (i.e. |
| a book or movie. | | | | you don't have a tumor), you have the desire to |
| The Experience of Flow | | | | write creatively, and you can shut up that little critical |
| Flow is always a positive experience; in fact, some | | | | voice, you've got all you need to achieve flow and |
| people refer to it as "optimal experience." And flow | | | | produce good stuff. (You can get the critic back out |
| doesn't just happen for writersathletes call it being | | | | when you actually edit, but wait till then!) |
| "in the zone." Chess players, surgeons, dancers, | | | | So ignore that critical voice until later, because while |
| programmers, and others also experience flow when | | | | you may not produce bad work while it's around, you |
| they're completely focused on doing the thing they | | | | can't write good stuff, either, if you're not writing at |
| love. | | | | all. |
| Though everybody's experience is a little different, | | | | Increasing the Flow in Your Life |
| there are certain things many people report, including: | | | | The parts of the brain that are affected by the flow |
| * Distortions in the experience of time - You realize | | | | experience are also active during meditation and, for |
| that you've been writing for three hours when it felt | | | | many, religious experiences. But you dont have to |
| like one. | | | | take up yoga to be more creative. What you need |
| * Euphoria | | | | to do is pay attention any time you realize you have |
| * A feeling of calm competence or enhanced | | | | been in a flow state. Different things work for |
| creativity | | | | different people, but here are some approaches you |
| * A "softening in the boundaries of the self," or a | | | | can try. |
| sense of wholeness or spiritual unity | | | | 1. If theres a TV show, movie, or book that you |
| * Another mystical experience of some kind | | | | love so much that the rest of the world disappears |
| (basketball players, for example, will sometimes say | | | | for you while youre involved with it, think about |
| that the hoop seems bigger when they're in flow) | | | | what it is about the show that intrigues you so much. |
| Finding "the Zone" | | | | Write about the characters, themes, or ideas that |
| Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as that perfect | | | | keep you riveted. Try to incorporate some of them |
| balance between challenge (task difficulty) and ability | | | | into your own writing, because they activate that |
| (personal skills). | | | | part of the brain you want involved--theyre the |
| This means that if a task is significantly beyond your | | | | kinds of things that will bring flow to your writing. |
| ability, you will feel anxiety. For example, let's say | | | | 2. Write what you think is garbage. Seriously. Write |
| you're computer illiterate and you need to install a | | | | the worst stuff you can come up with. In fact, set a |
| new PC card (circuit board) in your computer. A | | | | goal to write things youve never let yourself write |
| friend is talking you through the process on the | | | | before. Write the most self-important Mary Sue |
| phone, but since you've never even seen the inside | | | | story every to hit the internet (you dont have to |
| of a computer before, you're afraid you're either | | | | post it!) Write that love scene thats so |
| going to electrocute yourself or fry an expensive | | | | embarrassingly titillating that youd have to leave |
| piece of equipment. You're probably very anxious. | | | | town if anyone you know ever saw it. Write about |
| If the task is well within your ability but presents little | | | | what youd do if you could say anything you |
| challenge, by contrast, you're bored. | | | | wanted to to your coworkers, boss, or clients. If you |
| Washing the dishes is tedious because it's so easy | | | | dont feel comfortable writing or keeping these |
| and repetitive that you could probably do it with your | | | | things in your home, get a safe deposit box at the |
| eyes closed if you had to. | | | | bank and keep them there. Safe deposit boxes are |
| If the task is a challenge to your skills and you're | | | | surprisingly affordable, often only $20 or $30 a year |
| interested in conquering that challenge, you are on | | | | for small boxes. You could also get a Post Office box |
| the right path to achieving flow. | | | | and mail yourself your finished pieces. Dont destroy |
| Ok, Great...Now How do I Achieve Flow? | | | | them, though. Some of the best stuff youll ever |
| First, the bad news. | | | | write is the stuff that disturbs you the most. |
| According to Csikszentmihalyi, "You can't make flow | | | | 3. Set aside time that wont be interrupted by |
| happen. All you can do is learn to remove obstacles in | | | | distractions. You cant achieve flow when the phone |
| its way." | | | | keeps ringing, or your partner keeps asking when |
| If you're a good typist and can type without looking | | | | youre going to fix dinner, or youre worrying |
| at the keyboard, you know that as long as you don't | | | | about whether that work project is done yet. Make |
| think about what your fingers are doing, you're fine. | | | | that time sacred. Some people advocate sitting in |
| As soon as you start thinking about how fast you're | | | | front of the screen or writing tablet throughout that |
| hitting the keys, you start to make mistakes. The | | | | time, even if you dont write a word, but if you find |
| same thing happens to athletes who are asked to | | | | that tortuous, you wont do it. So keep other things |
| explain how they do something so well: if they try to | | | | around you will enjoy doing if youre not overcome |
| demonstrate immediately afterward, they have more | | | | by inspiration. |
| trouble than usual because now they're analyzing their | | | | Think silly, because flow is a playful kind of state, and |
| movements rather than just doing them. | | | | grimness isnt going to get you anywhere. Dont |
| The good news: Once you know what flow is and | | | | bring in work, or bills, or try to catch up on your |
| what it feels like, you can start to pay attention to | | | | emails. Many people find flow in quiet, repetitive tasks |
| how you got there and increase your ability to do it | | | | they enjoy: knitting, beading, drawing (even if you're |
| on purpose. | | | | really bad at it), or playing the piano, or even |
| The Right-Brain/Left-Brain Myth | | | | organizing things--photographs, for example. |
| Neurologist Alice Flaherty argues that creativity is due | | | | If you cant or dont want to do any of those |
| to a balance of frontal and temporal lobe activity. In | | | | things, think about what you enjoyed doing before |
| other words the trick is not, in fact, to get out of | | | | you had so many responsibilities. Buy a few of those |
| your "left brain" and into your right, but to increase | | | | comic books you never buy anymore&do they help |
| activity in the right hemisphere (or reduce activity in | | | | you get into the flow state? Download some pictures |
| the left) so it matches the activity on the other side. | | | | to color from the internet and borrow some of your |
| Most people don't realize that if you really got all the | | | | childs Crayolas. (Better yet, get some for yourself. |
| way out of your left brain, you wouldn't be able to | | | | A big box with lots of colors!) Play Dominos. Plant |
| writethe left brain produces language, and in many | | | | flowers. Do something thats a guilty pleasure, |
| people the right brain is completely nonverbal. (That | | | | something you deprive yourself of far too often. |
| is, if we severed that single connection between | | | | These are the things that will help you find flow most |
| your right and left hemispheres, the corpus callosum | | | | easily. |
| [pronounced KOR-pus KA-lo-sum], and asked the | | | | 4. Every time you find yourself in flow, spend a few |
| hand controlled by the nonverbal side of your brain | | | | minutes thinking about how it feels, and how you got |
| to write words, it either wouldn't be able to, or it | | | | there. And then, whatever it was, do it again. Soon. |