Flow: A Perfect State of Being
I recently read a quote in a little art book that said, “Play is how children learn; art is how adults play.” There’s a lot of new research supporting the benefits of exploration and creativity in art and related areas for adults as well as children. Flow really interests me and is something I first came across in my studies. However, it was just putting a name to something I had already recognised for years in myself and others, and more recently in children, especially my own!
Flow engages particular brain areas and states, with a complex range of neurotransmitters at work. We can simplify these processes as the “Task Positive Network,” a term that refers to a set of externally focused networks (which I won’t go into right now - if you want to learn more, I’d recommend starting with the executive functioning network). Essentially, when the task positive network is activated, attention is directed outward, and a task is being performed.
In a child, it’s when they’re engrossed in an activity, whatever they’re doing, whether playing with tiny Lego pieces while talking to themselves, pretending a kitchen spoon is a robot, or staging an enemy invasion. As a parent, I LOVE this because they’re occupied and content, with their creative mind and imagination fully at work. They’re not asking for food or making endless, unobtainable requests and demands. Instead, they’re in a perfect state of flow: their brains are integrated and content, they’re experiencing mindfulness, and they’re fully in the present.
Neurobiology has shown that flow is associated with neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, endorphins, and anandamide - each playing a different role in how someone feels, as well as in motivation and creativity. These “feel-good” neurotransmitters reduce pain and irritation, increase persistence, and boost general feelings of positivity and wellbeing. It’s no wonder that research is increasingly focusing on the arts, curiosity, and adult “play” as key pillars of our health.
Flow could even offer answers to mental health challenges such as excess anxiety and OCD. The opposite of the task positive network is known as the “Default Mode Network.” This mode is strongly associated with self-reflective thinking, autobiographical memory, and rumination - where we replay events, question every small action, and obsess over how we were perceived by others, often getting stuck in negative loop cycles. This type of behaviour is connected to OCD, and perhaps finding flow could offer new ways to support people in recovering their sense of self. Using art as an emotional regulation tool shifts attention away from the self, and the brain is no longer scanning for discomfort.
For me personally, origami offers a flow experience because the challenge often matches my skill level, creating a sweet spot of engagement that defines flow. It starts with the motivation to learn a particular model or piece, throwing away many sheets of paper, making endless mistakes, before finally mastering it. Then it can be repeated again and again. This is pure fulfilment, as confidence grows with each piece made. Flow is experienced in any situation where the task is interesting and challenging enough to demand our full attention: sports, arts, acting, singing, driving, or anything we commit to mastering.
The ability to hyperfocus is often seen as a neurodivergent state of flow, mainly for people with ADHD but also for other neurotypes. ADHDers can hyperfocus on something to the exclusion of almost everything else, including their surroundings and even their bodily needs - they may not realise they’re hungry or need the toilet. This intense concentration is often triggered by novelty, interest, or stimulation and can be harnessed to learn something quickly, such as exam content. However, losing track of time or ignoring responsibilities means balance is crucial.
Neurodivergent children and adults often process information differently, sometimes with a time lag. Perhaps when a neurodivergent person is in flow, they’re less self-conscious and less aware of the small details in what they’re saying and doing. It’s only afterwards, in replaying these moments, ruminating, and their strength in detail orientation can become a source of stress, as the default mode network reactivates. Flow quietens the brain systems responsible for self-focused distress and amplifies systems that support purposeful action.
There’s something about flow: it makes the brain happy, keeps us present, and lets us simply be. I’m curious to see where it might take me next, and if you want to explore it too, there are some wonderful books to start with. What art does: an unfinished theory by Brian Eno & Bette Adriaanse, The Pathway to Flow: The New Science of Harnessing Creativity to Heal and Unwind the Body & Mind by Julia F. Christensen, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.