“A flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one’s sense of time [ . . ]”
I only learned about this psychological phenomenon called “flow” after texting with my son one morning, most likely around 5am. He was writing in his apartment in New Jersey and I was writing in my house in Connecticut. He had just helped me reorganize a sentence I was working on and spontaneously I texted him back:
“Thank you! I love writing so much. It is the only time I feel ..well, not part of the world of other people…”
It came out without thought, organically and authentically, as one of the non-sequiturs I am famous for. But it got me wondering how other people felt when they were writing, so I asked the participants in my writing workshops.
Here’s what they told me:
“For me, rather than craft, expression, or art, writing is a space. A space I inhabit and create, the coveted, longed-for, boundaryless space Woolf writes of in a Room of One’s Own. Immersive, contemplative, frenzied, mystical—no one feeling quite captures it. Perhaps it’s simplest to say it’s mine… and sometimes yours—a distillation of being human.” -Nicole
Writing provides both an escape and a reconnection to everything all at once and in that fleeting moment all is right. -Rebecca
I write to harness all the thoughts, sounds, and images that float like a cloud of quotidian details, which would otherwise threaten to consume, corner, crush, and cut me. The pen, to me, is mightier than the sword, not just as a metaphor, but also literally. Like MacGyver or Jason Bourne, I use improvised word weapons to try to make sense of chaos and, if I am bloodied but still standing and the threats are kept at bay, I know that what I am writing for is worth fighting for. – Spacey
Writing is the most direct path to feeling whole and self-contained – and that nothing outside me can take away my value. -Rachel
My words demand to be released to the world to announce my existence. They are the point. I am the significance. The words are my howl, my declaration to the world that I am here. Make of me what you will, but don’t overlook me. -Dave
When I am writing… I like the way my brain feels. 🙂 -Piper
Writing makes me feel free—that I am creating my own world, and the only limit is my imagination. It has a life of its own, and wonderful surprises happen while doing it. -Susan
i don’t know why i write. it is always something that i’ve done, making up stories, or imagining things. i’m one of those people with an endless inner monologue and when i’m writing the story becomes louder than the thoughts in my head, making sense out of a babbling stream of consciousness. -koura
If you have ever ridden a bike on cool summer morning or if you have ever stood on the edge of a diving board with your back to the pool ready to plunge backward into the air hoping to hit the water alive, then you know the complete joy and fear of being alive and that’s how I feel when I write. -William
When I write memoir or essay it feels like I’m giving a voice to my true self. And when writing fiction, I love bringing worlds and people from my inside my head to life. -Eve
Writing is a release that makes my memories real and gives them permanence, making me feel raw and whole. Writing gives my swirling thoughts and emotions stillness. -Mindy
Writing, for me, has never been a choice. If I don’t write for a day or two,I feel out of sorts. It is both a catharsis and a creative outlet.Whether I’m figuring out something personal, thinking about meaningful events, or meeting new characters when writing a story,writing helps me make sense of the world. -Meira
I think that writing helps us to nudge ourselves and readers of our words to take the time to savor the splendor of life even if just for one moment, but hopefully more. –Davida
When I write I feel better about myself. -Gail
FLOW
“[ . . . ] Flow is the melting together of action and consciousness; the state of finding a balance between a skill and how challenging that task is. It requires a high level of concentration, however, it should be effortless. Flow is used as a coping skill for stress and anxiety when productively pursuing a form of leisure that matches one’s skill set.” -Wikipedia