The Flow State: Neuroplasticity and the Therapeutic Value of the Arts

June 20th, 2024 by Thomas Kaspereen

Envision a musician on the stage, guitar in hands, surrounded by a crowd of fans. The environment presents almost limitless stimuli: the roaring of cheers, thousands of beaming eyes, the luminous spotlight, and the nonphysical anxieties of stage fright and failure, hopes of fame and fortune. Nevertheless, the musician, stepping on stage, wielding an instrument with the power to express emotion beyond the capabilities of language, omits the distractions and focuses on what matters to them most. They begin their performance, and with every note, every singular blissful vibration of each string, and with their hand masquerading as it glides across frets, their wandering thoughts, their fears, and the stimuli disappear. They begin a complete and undivided immersion into the journey of their music, fulfilling the steps, one finger at a time, that comprise the song in its entirety. Everything around the musician disintegrates. Control, balance, and an almost effortless execution guided by irrevocable concentration fabricate a state in which rumination of the experience is complete and intrinsically rewarding. The musician stands alone at the center of the universe with a guitar in their hands, strikes a thunderous symphony beyond the stars, altering the flow of time, and the self appears to disintegrate. They soar through the cosmos of creativity, culminate within the galaxy of their desire, and at the end of the universe, look back at their creation with immeasurable satisfaction. They flow. 

“Flow” is a term coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi [Mee-HAH-ee CHEEK-sehnt-mee-hah-yee], a positive developmental psychologist, when observing painters absorbed in a state of “full immersion and absorption in the act of creation” (Csikszentmihalyi). According to Csikszentmihalyi, the artists focused on creating artwork, indulged at the moment, neglected intrinsic or extrinsic needs, and moved the painting aside when completed. These artists experienced flow, a state of immersion, a feeling of complete focus that becomes so intense it “leads to a sense of ecstasy, a sense of clarity: you know exactly what you want to do from one moment to the other; you get immediate feedback” (Oppland, 2016). Thus, the musician with the guitar concentrates entirely on executing the song. After playing the last note, they are not concerned about the crowd’s reaction. The musician enters a zone of involvement fixated on the process and intrinsic value of the music. 

The characteristics of the flow state, as described by Csikszentmihalyi, are the following (taken into the perspective of the musician aforementioned):

1. Complete concentration on the task at hand: the musician focuses only on playing the guitar rather than the audience around them. The musician ignores needs like hunger or pain from standing too long. 

2. Clarity of goals and rewards in mind and immediate feedback: The musician’s goal is to play every note in the song correctly, considering the satisfaction that will come from perfection. 

3. Transformation of time: the musician has no sense of time, almost as if time stopped in its tracks or flows at an increased rate. 

4. Experience is intrinsically rewarding: the musician does not perform to the audience for wealth, fame, or attention (all extrinsically rewarding); they perform to satisfy an internal desire, such as the love for the guitar and the desire to master it. 

5. Effortlessness and ease: Although present in a stress-inducing environment, the musician relaxes and performs the song fluently.

6. Balance between challenge and skills: The musician can play the most complex compositions after hours of practice and aims to face more significant challenges.

7. Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious rumination: Enraptured with such intense concentration; the musician forgets all anxieties regarding themself and what others view of them. They only think about playing the guitar.

8. A feeling of control over the task: The blaring lights, the cacophony of roars, the unfamiliarity of the stage, and the uncertainty of their ability to perform are difficulties the musician faces, yet, within the flow state, they feel that they have complete control over the situation. 

The flow state does not occur due to random circumstances, although it can occur in any situation. People cannot enter the flow state as they please but instead enter or create optimal conditions to experience flow. They can recall previous instances where they experienced flow and try to replicate the task, experience, or mental state at that time. However, they may require other strategies, such as replicating environmental and mental conditions, which can be difficult. Longer tasks that take more time allow for more possibilities to enter a flow state. Moving away from or minimizing distractions and practicing mindful skills like meditation can be beneficial when attempting to reach a flow state. Even if the strategies are performed correctly, the activity itself might block the flow state, as “tasks that are dull, repetitive, or too easy may not induce a flow state…a person should try adjusting these tasks so that they are more enjoyable, meaningful, or challenging” (Villines, 2022, para. 33). 

Triggering a flow state is more complex than it entails. Steven Kotler, executive director of the Flow Research Collective, describes four flow state triggers: internal, external, creative, and group flow, which allow someone to induce a flow state. Kotler (2023, para. 8) states, "Understanding the different types of flow triggers can help you optimize flow state training, enabling you to reach peak performance faster and easier.” Therefore, depending on the task at hand, there are different triggers regarding the context of the situation that can assist in entering a flow state and, consequently, performing the task optimally. 

Internal triggers are “psychological and cognitive factors that spontaneously lead to a state of flow during activities, like completing a challenging task” (Kotler, 2023, para. 7). They are characterized by passion, purpose, and curiosity, which increase intrinsic motivation and allow one to enter a flow state. Autonomy, concentration, clear goals, and a challenge-skill ratio characterize internal triggers. The musician, driven by their affection and devotion to the guitar, the balance between the difficulty of the song and their years of experience, clear-cut goal to perfect their performance, and absolute concentration, enters a flow state induced by internal triggers. 

External triggers are “factors or techniques that deliberately induce a state of flow during a specific task or activity” (Kotler, 2023, para. 7). Novelty, complexity concerning navigation, problem-solving new elements of an experience, risk, unpredictability, and deep embodiment characterize external triggers. The musician walks out onto the stage with his guitar for the first time, scanning the area and indulging in the richness of the experience. The musician, with the willingness to perform, embraces the uncertainty and immerses themself in their craft. Their comfort zone no longer exists. Through a sense of urgency, exhilaration, and adaptation, the musician enters a flow state induced by external triggers. 

Creative triggers are “factors that can help you immerse yourself fully in the creative process” (Kotler, 2023, para. 7). Pattern recognition and creativity drive the generation of novel ideas, forming insightful connections, and refusing stagnation upon chaos. The musician enters the stage. The spotlight infects them with its burning effervescence, and everyone appears to glare their supercilious eyes at him. Under pressure, the musician forgets the introduction to his song. However, they think outside the box and improvise a new intro that fits the song's chorus better. From this spark of creativity, the musician enters a flow state induced by creative triggers.

Group flow triggers are “factors that promote a collective state of flow within a group or team setting” (Kotler, 2023, para. 7). Shared goals, close listening, responding, a sense of control, a collective focus, equal participation, familiarity, communication, and risk are triggers that can induce a group flow state. Listening to one another, making an effort to learn and understand other points of view that may contradict another, encouraging communication, driving towards growth, and fostering a sense of belonging are a few examples of group flow triggers that are beneficial towards motivation and concentration while working with others. Group flow triggers did not induce the musician’s flow state. However, they are not ineffective and can significantly benefit group motivation, progress, and concentration. 

Understanding the flow state, conditions to enter, and benefits of experiencing flow underlies a potential individualized solution regarding the brake in neuroplasticity as people reach adulthood. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability “to reorganize and modify its neural connections in response to environmental stimuli, experience, learning, injury, and disease processes” (Marzola et al., 2023). Neural connections are the link between neurons, a.k.a. nerve cells in the brain and nervous system that send and receive signals. 

During the “perinatal and early childhood periods, the brain undergoes rapid and extensive growth and development, during which plasticity is particularly high…in contrast, plasticity in later stages of the lifespan is more tightly regulated and context-dependent” (Marzola et al., 2023). Children require the formation of new neural connections to compensate for their extensive growth. During adulthood, plasticity is no longer at its high level during childhood, so they form fewer neural connections. In addition, “the capability of the human brain to modify its structural pattern to fit new environmental demands is restricted to the early stages of development” (Boyke et al. 2008). This does not mean that neuroplasticity degenerates but it is not as efficient in adulthood. There are ways in which neuroplasticity can be improved after development. The baseline to “elicit brain plasticity is to practice new tasks intensively and to organize the training epochs in such a way that skill learning and retention are maximized. A critical requirement for neuroplasticity to emerge is to make the practice context sufficiently difficult for the learner” (Pauwels et al. 2018).  Processes promoting neuroplasticity, such as practicing novel tasks, organizing them to promote concentration and learning, and imposing a certain difficulty level, are critical conditions for entering and maintaining the flow state. There is a distinct connection between entering the flow state and promoting neuroplasticity. Strategies promoting brain plasticity and neural reorganization, such as “cognitive and social stimulation” and implementing challenges that require mental effort, are critical triggers for entering a flow state (Marzola et al., 2023). 

With this in mind, one question remains: What mechanisms can someone perform themselves to wield the flow state, endorse neuronal development, and improve their mental health and well-being? The key is finding therapeutic and intrinsically motivating or rewarding activities and providing a challenge without being too stressful. Finding activities that fit these conditions can be strenuous, so creating art is an optimal gateway in the search for flow. One such example involves art therapy, which uses creativity, self-expression, and guidance to support mental health (Feeney 2024). This therapy utilizes the characteristics of the flow state to provide an optimal environment and experience to influence psychological growth and improve mental health. Patients, through the guidance of therapists and art creation, experience various positive emotions, including accomplishment, control, and autonomy (Chilton 2013). Therefore, indulging in artistic processes promotes creativity and assists in coping with negative emotions like anxiety.

The creativity that arises through creating and enjoying art benefits neuroplasticity. Not only does art carry an intrinsic therapeutic value, but it can also act as a basis for entering the flow state. While anyone can enter the flow state in many ways, art is an accessible doorway into the sanctums of the mind that produce it. The musician, who has already found his key, unlocks his vault of flow with his guitar pick. While the musician experiences flow through music, everyone is unique and will find sanctuary within their interests, whether their key is a paintbrush, a pen, or even something as simple as reading a book. There is no harm in engaging in the therapeutic value of the arts, for you can become the musician.

Works Cited

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Chilton, Gioia. “Art Therapy and Flow: A Review of the Literature and Applications.” ResearchGate, June 2013, www.researchgate.net/publication/283912540_Art_Therapy_and_Flow_A_Review_of_the_Literature_and_Applications. Accessed 17 June 2024.

Davis, Rayelle. “What Is Art Therapy? | Psychology.org.” Psychology.org | Psychology’s Comprehensive Online Resource, 15 Feb. 2022, www.psychology.org/resources/what-is-art-therapy/.

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Marzola, Patrícia, et al. “Exploring the Role of Neuroplasticity in Development, Aging, and Neurodegeneration.” Brain Sciences, vol. 13, no. 12, 1 Dec. 2023, p. 1610, www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/12/1610, https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13121610.

“Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi ·Claremont Graduate University.” Claremont Graduate University, 2014, www.cgu.edu/people/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/.

Oppland, Mike. “8 Ways to Create Flow according to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.” PositivePsychology.com, 16 Dec. 2016, positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/.

Pauwels, Lisa, et al. “Aging and Brain Plasticity.” Aging, vol. 10, no. 8, 1 Aug. 2018, pp. 1789–1790, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6128435/, https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.101514. Accessed 23 Mar. 2019.

Villines, Zawn. “Flow State: Definition, Examples, and How to Achieve It.” Www.medicalnewstoday.com, 19 Apr. 2022, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/flow-state#getting-into-flow.