Flow, a term coined by a psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is a state of being that we experience when we are fully engaged in an activity. Children at play is a very good example of this. Athletes call it being “in the zone.” People experiencing flow often lose concept of time because they are so engrossed and focused on the activity. It is an optimal state for learning and performing.

I crave flow. I crave that feeling when my creative juice just flows, things seem to fall so naturally into place, and the task seems so effortless. It happens when I play my favourite piece on the piano, read a good book, make a really satisfying run on the ski hill or drive my MINI (with no traffic and on winding roads). I also experience it when I get to put together different items to create a perfect ensemble like an outfit or a dish. It’s a creative process resulting in spontaneous joy. I recently learned a cool fact from my latest interest, neuroscience, related to flow. During a flow state, there is a perfect balance between one’s left and right hemispheres. The activities in the left brain, which we need in order to function in this society by planning, organizing and rationalizing, match perfectly to the activites in the right brain that allow us to have a moment and think in symbolism. I guess it’s that old concept of art and science. So cool….