Have you ever stepped back from a project and realized that a significant amount of time has passed and you have no idea how? You don’t realize it in the moment, but when you finally take a pause you realize that you have spent hours lazer focused on a task as if it were the only thing to exist.

Welcome to what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls “The Flow State”.

He describes this, well…. just as I did above. Just as what it is… “a mental state where individuals are fully immersed and involved in their activities, often experiencing a sense of timelessness and effortless concentration.”

I touched on this a bit in my article titled “The Power of Pushing Through”. I don’t truly know if I realized it in that moment, or even as I sat down writing that article but I believe the Flow State is what lifted me out of the weariness that night, and allowed me to create some of my favorite street photography images to date. I believe this is also what happened on my last photo walk, allowing me to capture the images you see in this article.

Professor C, as I will call him to avoid butchering his name, describes the benefits or Flow more or less as enhanced performance, increased happiness or fulfillment, and personal growth. He emphasizes that flow is not a random occurrence but can be cultivated through deliberate practice and mindfulness.

This highly interests me. So how can we do this? Professor C says this:

• Set clear goals

• Create a conducive environment

• Developing the necessary skills

With relatively simple strategies like this we can attempt to achieve flow state in almost any task. If I reflect, and relate this to my own photo sessions I can see how this applies. In both cases I was utterly unmotivated at the time, but I had done these 3 things unintentionally.

• I had set clear goals - To just go ahead and get out, try to create something and be happy if all I had come back with was a failed attempt (also see Fail Better). Only take a lens, etc…

• I created a conducive environment - I used music to create the mood, somewhat more aggressive music for Chicago street photography, relaxing music for a sunset photo walk on the Riverwalk to help put me in different mindsets.

• I had developed the necessary skills - In this case it was simply knowing my camera and editing software and keeping the principles of exposure and composition in mind.

So the next time you are feeling a lack of motivation, instead of just “going to do the thing” and simply going through the motions, it seems that if you set a clear intention even if that is just “I’m going to go out with some chill music, looks for some chill pics, and if it doesn’t happen then I will just be happy for simply trying” you might land yourself in the Flow State, turn the tide of motivation and maybe even create something you really like.

Now, I didn’t come back with anything revolutionary. Nothing I would call portfolio ready by any means. But I came back with something that means something to me. I took another step towards my creative journey. I gained another triumph over a lack of motivation, despite the never-ending excuses to put it off for another day. A better way to practice. A few decent pics to share with the world…

But most importantly, a better understanding of how to set myself up to practice better.

If you’re a reader I highly recommend picking up Professor C’s book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" and giving it a once over.

Until next week…