Finding the Flow: How to Reliably Tap into Your Creative Flow State
We all know the feeling: when you’re so immersed in what you’re creating that time disappears. Doubt fades. The brush moves like it knows what to do. The words pour out before you can question them. The music plays through you. This is the flow state—and for artists, it’s pure magic.
But for many of us, that state can feel elusive. One day you’re in it, the next you’re spiraling in overthinking or endlessly tweaking your work. You wait for the inspiration to strike again, not sure what you did to get there in the first place.
Here’s the truth I’ve come to know through both mindfulness practice and my creative process: flow isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you build a relationship with. And there are ways to reliably meet it, like an old friend you’ve learned how to invite in.
1. Clear the Channel
Flow needs space to move through you. If your mind is cluttered with to-do lists, self-doubt, or endless tabs open (literally and mentally), it’s hard to access that open, intuitive place.
Before I begin creating, I take a moment to pause. I breathe. Sometimes I shake out my body, light a candle, or scribble in a journal to release mental noise. These little rituals act like a signal: I’m here now. I’m ready.
Try this: Before your next creative session, set a 3-minute timer. Close your eyes. Breathe slowly. Imagine your inner landscape clearing like clouds parting in the sky.
2. Follow the Energy, Not the Outcome
One of the biggest flow blockers? Trying to get it right.
Flow thrives when you’re curious—not controlling. Instead of focusing on what the final result should look like, bring your attention to the moment: the colors, the textures, the rhythm of your fingers on the keyboard, the sound of your breath as you move.
Let go of the pressure to make something impressive. Focus on how it feels.
Flow isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.
3. Create Containers
Flow loves a boundary to push against. Wide-open space with no structure can actually make it harder to drop in.
Set a gentle container for your practice: a timeframe, a specific tool or medium, a single intention. These limits become the edges of the playground where your creativity can roam free.
One of my favorite containers? A 3-minute timer. No distractions. Just me and the art. I’m often amazed at what comes through in that focused pocket of time.
4. Move First, Then Make
Your body is a bridge to the creative state. When you’re stuck in your head, movement can help you shift back into your body, where flow often lives.
This doesn’t have to be a full dance break (although those are great). Even a few stretches, a short walk, or some intuitive shaking can move stuck energy and help you feel more grounded, alive, and ready to create.
If your creativity feels frozen, let your body thaw it.
5. Practice Showing Up—Even When It’s Not Flowing
Here’s the not-so-glamorous truth: you won’t always feel the flow right away. But every time you show up, you’re building trust with your creativity. You’re proving to yourself that you’re someone who creates anyway—not just when it’s easy.
And the more you show up, the more often flow shows up too.
Flow doesn’t always knock. Sometimes you have to open the door first.
6. Flow isn’t a mood
What if you didn’t have to wait to feel inspired before you began? What if your studio, your sketchbook, your yoga mat—were places where flow could reliably find you, because you’ve prepared the space for it?
