FLOW: Why We Do What We Do

A few years ago, I discovered the work of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, his work on the field of human happiness helped him to discover a state that he called FLOW. I found Czikszentmihalyi’s definition of the state of Flow very close to the experience of many of my clients:

“a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”

The more I thought about it, the more I understood why actors had to do what they do. The feeling of an experience so enjoyable that people would do it at great cost – just for the sheer sake of it – yes, that’s why all the actors that I know are compelled to do it. Even when financial security or relationship stability are at risk. It’s quite illogical, but after having a taste of that elusive Flow, we want to experience it again and again. It is almost addictive. It gives us a feeling that we may never have experienced in our lives before.

For actors, Flow is a state of immersion in which they lose their self-consciousness. It is, what I imagine those actors that believe in such things call being in character. The feeling of the loss of self in the activity. 

Of course, it doesn’t apply to just actors.

Flow is a state of optimal performance, but it also matches the level of the performer. The challenge must balance with the skill level. A high school performer in a high school performance may experience Flow. A high school performer in a major feature film may not  experience Flow if the challenge outmatches their present skill/experience level. So experiencing Flow is not only restricted to top performers.

However as professional performers, the bar is raised and our skills must be developed to meet the level of the challenge. If we want to achieve the Flow stage again, we must prepare to meet its criteria:

  • There are clear goals every step of the way.

  • There is immediate feedback to one’s actions.

  • There is a balance between challenges and skills.

  • Action and awareness are merged.

  • Distractions are excluded from consciousness.

  • There is no worry of failure.

  • Self-consciousness disappears.

  • The sense of time becomes distorted.

  • The activity becomes an end in itself.

Training for actors must therefore assist the performer to meet these criteria for Flow.

In tomorrow’s post, I will examine how one of Constantin Stanislavski’s most popular quotations helps us to understand the developmental process an actor must undertake to grow skills, meet the criteria and experience the state of Flow at the highest levels.

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The Journey EVERY Actor Must Take

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Developing a Mindset for Acting Success