Do you remember a time when you immersed yourself so much in making, it was if time stood still. You had an idea for a creation and you focused all your energy on completing it. All of life’s distractions seemed to slip away. Everything else could wait. You were likely experiencing what scientists call, “flow state.” Creative flow state experiences can occur in different ways, for different people. Flow state often occurs when you are doing something that you enjoy and in which you are quite skilled.

HOW DO YOU FIND A CREATIVE FLOW STATE?

Flow state often happens when you have something new and exciting to work on, something that challenges you in a new way. You are using your skill in a craft you are proficient in but the creation is new, the idea or concept is one that challenges you. 

You can accomplishment your greatest creations in flow state. Your business will likely benefit and your body will too! When people experience flow state there’s an increase in activity of dopamine (a brain chemical involved in pleasure and motivation). 

So how do you trigger this flow state? The key is being open to new ideas, getting out of the mundane routine that you may be experiencing. 

The exciting new ideas can come in one of two ways. 

First, you are inspired by something around you, whether that’s nature, art, or work that’s similar to yours, the list goes on. 

Second, someone else inspiring you, often from them asking you to create a custom design. Your friends and family see you creating, listen to their ideas and very specifically say yes to new creations if they excite you. 

A year in to my Etsy shop business, I said yes to a friend who wanted a custom design. That design lead to an entire line of one of my most popular offerings in my shop. I profusely thank her year after year for the request. I could have easily said no, that I was too busy working on my current orders and that it would take me too much time to create something custom for her. I’m glad I didn’t! Literally tens of thousands of dollars were generated from her idea.

THE BENEFITS OF CREATIVE FLOW STATE

You’ve likely experienced that intense mental focus while getting lost in your craft to achieve the goal of a creation. Can we call it a creators high? I can get on board with that! 

Here are four benefits of the creative flow state:

1. Mindfulness: Attention to what is occurring in the present moment. When you are focused on the present and in a flow state you aren’t worried about what’s in the past or what’s ahead of you, you are focused on the beauty of the moment.
2. Mental and Physical Effects: With the chemical dopamine that’s released during flow state you experience pleasure, your bodies blood pressure decreases. You are in a physiological sense of a greater well being.
3. Fulfillment: When you are in a creative flow state you are enjoying what you are doing. With each piece of your work you accomplish along the way, you achieve fulfillment. The fulfillment fuels you on to the next step, it’s a cycle that perpetuates the flow.
4. Confidence: We crave activities in which we feel we have the skills required to come out as winners. The work is meaningful and challenging. When accomplished it creates a sense of confidence that we can perform again and at a new, higher level.

You may see these benefits from work that’s in line with what you currently create. You may experience the creative flow from something that you are skilled at but is very different from what you normally create. I leaned in to this craft recently and loved trying something outside of my normal work.

BEING OPEN TO CUSTOM ORDERS

In order to achieve this creative high, known as flow state you can gather ideas from multiple avenues. One being through custom orders!

Open your mind, and be inspired. Find your own fresh new ideas and allow others to hand them to you as well! 

A great place to receive customer orders is from Etsy. If you would like to draw inspiration from Etsy shoppers ensure you have enabled custom order requests! 

1. On Etsy.com, click the Shop Manager icon.
2. Next, Click Settings.
3. Then, Click Options.
4. Now, Click Enabled under Custom order requests.
5. Finally, Click Save at the bottom of the page.

Let’s spend more time in a creative flow state, let’s achieve that creators high and see our businesses and minds flourish! You can accomplishment your greatest creations in flow state. Your business will benefit and your body will too!