🧬 flow state
The Phoenix Circle
copy — expand — express
COPY
find a building block of the craft and copy it repeatedly, preferably in the context of a small but finishable larger work. copy until it become automatic
EXPAND
once you master that building block, find out more about it, the history, learn about the technique behind it, optimize.
EXPRESS
express yourself u
“Star 7 Cultivate Purpose and Intention
Circumvent fixation on competition by developing goals with meaning and cultivating intrinsic rewards - train the neural pathways that connect basic and complex rewards (camp 1 and camp 2) with the arts.”
— the Pathway to Flow / Julia F. Christensen
“Star 6 ⭐️ Practise Movement and Expression
Snap out of stagnation and conformity; express yourself with the movements of your body for health and well-being - live as your auethentic self within the safe space of the arts and collect intrinsic rewards to generate healthy habit loops.
[…] around 150-180 minutes of aerobic exercise - that means your h
... See more“Star 5 ⭐️ Use Your Imagination
Use your imagination to trigger new neural connections, so your creative habit can spill into other areas of your life and thought patterns - the human brain learns best when the learning process is powered by imagination and woven into a story that guides the process.”
— the Pathway to Flow / Julia F. Christensen
“Star 4 ⭐️ Aim for Connectedness and Aesthetic Feelings
Avoid empty thrills by seeking activities that provoke genuine feelings of awe and self-relevance - the arts move you and connect you with your sense of self.”
— the Pathway to Flow / Julia F. Christensen
“Star 3 ⭐️ Create a Community
Combat loneliness, prompting neurobiological mechanisms of bonding and health by sharing your practice with others - the human social brain needs others to stay sane and healthy; the arts are a channel for communication and connection, beyond words.
[…]
Reserve time and space in your creative practice for expression that
... See more“Star 2 ⭐️ Practise Skill and Technique
Master technique; not as a goal, but as an end in itself - you’re learning the vocabulary of your art, like the words of a language, to express yourself, so keep your eyes on the meaning.”
— the Pathway to Flow / Julia F. Christensen
“Copy, imitate, then expand.” tracing art, retyping prose or scripts. fanfiction? write a new scene with existing characters and world. do plot embryo studies count?
“star 1 ⭐️ Have A Routine
Avoid the fear of fear that comes from uncertainty in life with small routines that also help create the right habit loops - within stable boundaries, your mind will reach new levels of creativity, and flow.”
— the Pathway to Flow / Julia F. Christensen
cocoon of bliss (chapter 5)