start

I found Sarah and I both have similar objects of interest in that both folding Origami and assembling Lego are somewhat of a methodical and process orientated activity. I find myself drawn to these sorts of activities that let you tap into that "flow" state where you're completely absorbed in a single task/activity, directing all of our attention to what is infront of us at the moment. It's the idea of letting yourself go and just indulging in a hobby and letting the inner part of your creative subconscious take control which appeals to me a lot these days as I am trying to find ways to unwind and get out of my head.

I find myself entering this "flow" state of mind in other areas of my practice as well, such as when I draw. Especially for my discipline, 2D animation, drawing frames can get repetitive, but when I get to it and fall into the "flow", I immerse myself into the pictures I am trying to bring to life.

This term, I'd like to explore the idea of consciousness in the context of creating art a bit further as this concept has piqued my interest. The idea of "flow" isn't something I think about too often, rather it's a short period where I connect my thoughts and the actions of my hands as a single function. I want to explain what it's like for me a bit better through various creative explorations.

I am responding with a medium I haven't dabbled in a lot which is digital photography. I took pictures of repetitive looking things like the designs on my comforter and the way the clothes in my closet hang and alternate between different colors. I drew a connection between these pattern-making objects and the act of and tapping into "flow" - letting and falling into a system of familiarity to guide us when we pursue creative endeavors.

for my project, i want to delve in deeper into the concept of "flow" and try to visualize and explore the process of creating. i find myself tapping into the state when i make art or do routine and menial tasks around the house - the feeling familiar and second nature to me. i haven't really thought about what it is like to momentarily get caught up in the task i do, so i would like to investigate and play with the topic with drawings.

through the use of image-based storytelling, i aim to illustrate various instances where i encounter myself slipping into the "flow" state. my project will have abstract anecdotal experiences, taking inspiration from the free-form style of urban art such as graffiti/tagging and public murals. i want to create a single cohesive piece where the stories i draw connect into one another, whether through color, design, patterns, etc... sort of like a long, continuous illustration/stream of thought.

i will be keeping a journal throughout the duration of this project, detailing my day-to-day thoughts and activities. with that, i hope to gather specific events that i can draw to describe periods where i get into the "flow" state of mind.

futhermore, i plan to do a little research about the phenomenon and the relation it has to therapeutic methods, consulting readings such as "Flow Experiences Across Adulthood: Preliminary Findings on the Continuity Hypothesis" by Tse, Dwight C. K. Nakamura, Jeanne Csikszentmihalyi, and Mihaly from the ECU library database and "Space 22", a six-part BBC documentary series that explores the impact of art and creativity on mental health.