Get With the Flow

Mihaly's chapter about the the flow of creativity was very intriguing to me..He says one thing all creative people have in common is that they take pleasure in what they do.They don't do it for the money or for the fame, but genuinely love their job whether it is being an advertisement agent, a painter, writer, musician, or architect. I would have to agree with Mihaly If you don't love what you do, then how can you be creative. If you hated your job, you wouldn't try and come up with new ideas. Mihaly also elaborates on what is enjoyment, how do you know you are enjoying it? Mihaly noticed when talking with people who have been creative, that "it was clear from talking to them that what kept them motivated was the quality of experience they felt when they were relaxing" (110). Mihaly goes on to say, "this optimal experience is what I have called flow, because many of the respondents described the feeling when things were going well as an almost automatic, effortless, yet highly focused state of consciousness"(110). I have experienced this flow many times in my life. In track, while I stand at th starting line on the track, I am very nervous and scared. But, once the gun fires, my mind just goes in to state of total concentration. I have one goal in my and that is to win. I don't think that i;m going to lose, but only that I can win. Nothing else matters except crossing the finish line. This flow powers creativity.I believe that to be a creative person, you have to get with the flow sometimes. Only then, will creativity fully blossom.