What is Flow and how is it linked to music?

Workflow is a somewhat sacred word in electronic music production circles and for many producers a fluid process can remain elusive. However, developments in neuroscience around ‘flow states’ are perhaps handing us the keys to turbo charging our studio sessions.

First up, for the uninitiated we better explain exactly what the hell ‘flow’ is. Whilst it can sound a little out there, there is a growing mountain of evidence to support the concept and how it boosts performance. The master work in is probably Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s ‘Flow: The Psychology Of Optimal Experience’ . His work explores the experiences of top athletes, musicians and other performers.

Put simply ‘flow’ then is the feeling you have when everything seems to click, the rest of the world drops away, time seems to dilate and we enter a fluid state of peak performance. This is something regularly reported by athletes who are ‘in the zone’ but many of us can experience this in the studio.

The question is how do we prime ourself to enter this state and start experiencing more ‘flow’ in our sessions.

How can good health and mood improve my studio sessions?

Happiness and health come first

There are many stories mythologising artists who suffer for their art. However, when it comes to accessing flow states the truth is that happiness normally comes before success in creative endeavours not as a result of it. If a good mood is the key to flow then the question is how do we hack our route into this state more quickly?

Sleep

Firstly, make sure you get enough sleep. Seven hours should be what you aim for, so you can forget pulling all-nighters in the studio and if you are an earlier riser then you need to adjust your bedtime routine accordingly. Sleep hygiene is becoming a more common term so consider having a digital detox or curfew before you hit the sack and think carefully before consuming caffeine in the afternoon.

Gratitude

Next, install a gratitude practice in your morning routine. This could be simply jotting down three things you are grateful for before your start the day or doing a gratitude meditation. Why? Because our brains are wired to look for the negative and we need to do some neural rewriting in order to prime us for hitting those creative flow states. 

Exercise

Finally, exercise regularly. If you want an instant injection of endorphins and other mood boosting chemicals then this is vital. Speaking from personal experience it is easy to want to bury yourself away in the studio but unless you come up for some air and preferably a bit of blood pumping exercise reasonably often you are probably doing more harm than good.

None of this is rocket science but applying it consistently to your own life can have a profound impact on your musical output.

How can I improve my focus when making music and in the studio?

Book in Deep Work slots and focus 

Plan and block off studio sessions in advance and make sure you are undisturbed. Switch your phone off, switch the internet off, heck switch the world off.

One of the key triggers for a flow state is complete focus and it is worth checking out books like ‘Hyperfocus’ by Chris Bailey or ‘Deep Work’ by Cal Newport to discover the massive benefits that being intentional with our attention brings. We live in an overstimulating world of constant distraction and allowing our mind to slow down primes us for a flow state.

Steven Kotler goes as far as saying to hang a sign on your door saying ‘Fuck off I’m flowing!’ Too extreme? Well possibly…but explaining to your wife, partner, boyfriend that this time is precious to you and that they will get your full attention when you are with them is worth doing. You will probably find that your increasing ability to focus and boosted mood will make you a lot nicer to be around.

How can I be more creative and efficient in the studio and when making music?

Set limitations to unlock creativity

Opened your DAW to be overwhelmed by thousands of plug ins? Accosted by an endless barrage of choices which can drag you down wormholes where sessions are lost in the abyss? Well maybe it is time to start setting some limitations.

Firstly, prune that list of plug ins and get rid of ones you never really use. Streamline the choices available using features like Ableton’s favourites browser and create a folder of carefully curated sounds to go back to. Had a successful project or release? Get those sounds saved and labelled. Nothing kills flow like scrolling through a list of two hundred kick drums, so get that sound selection done in advance and reduce those choices to stay in the zone. Taking this a step, further, boost your creativity by limiting the number of tracks you will use on a certain project.

Alternatively, if you want to charge up your skills on a particular plug in, instrument or effect deliberately limit yourself to using just that one tool. Soon you will find yourself taking that effect or instrument into unusual places and creating unique sounds. Stock effects on DAWS are a great place to start with this and can help you to master, use, then abuse these tools in unique and unconventional ways.

Weirdly our brains like limitations, it pushes us into new places and demands creativity from us. Use this to your advantage.

How can I finish more tracks and avoid creative blocks?

Incubate ideas and go wild

If you are stubborn like me you may find yourself spending excessively long hours wrestling within certain projects, steadfastly refusing to leave the damn place until you have solved a problem or issue. Whilst determination is a key skill in creativity, taking a step back is vital if you want to solve such creative ruts more rapidly. What should you do in this time away?

A low stimulation activity that allows the conscious mind to rest and the sub-conscious to start joining up the dots. Walking in nature is perhaps the best as it serves not only as refresher for the mind but also acts as incubation period for ideas. Furthermore, if you can seek out broad vistas and scenic spots these can help you see the big picture when you are lost in the details. If you can’t do this even a drive on a familiar route or a nice long shower will allow you to start scattering your mind and resolving problems that previously seemed insurmountable.

Still stuck? Then sleep on it. Successful creatives have always recognised the power of sleep and it’s link to creativity. That’s why Freddie Mercury slept with a piano as his headboard and there are an endless list of others who kept notebooks by their beds to capture these moments of insight sparked by the sub-conscious mind.

So walk away, get out in the wild and harness the power of sleep to make creative connections.

How can I stop perfectionism and over thinking when working on music?

Get out of your own way and trust the process

When Nasa bought in creativity expert George Land back in 1968 to uncover the creative wizards amongst their workforce, he developed an ingenious test to measure divergent (creative) thinking. Shockingly his research revealed that 98% of the children scored at the genius level whilst a measly 2% of adults scored at an equivalent level.

Neuroscience has since revealed that this is largely due to natural changes in the brain which reduce our impulsive and more imaginative associations as we grow up. How then can we tap back into this child-like state to access these creative resources in the brain? Well you should know the answer by now. Flow. In order to prime ourself for a good session in the studio we need to shut out that internal critical narrator.

Meditation is a great way to help declutter an over overstimulated mind and bring a sense of calm. Seriously, ten to twenty minutes each day can clear space to allow clarity of thinking when in the studio. Once in the studio if stuck creatively, vary your approach, set a challenge (it could be a limitation) if things seem too safe or easy and try to get in a relaxed receptive state rather than forcing things musically. Importantly, try to make things fun and intuitive for you, so build your set up and workflow around what excites you.

Finally, trust the process, feelings of frustration will occur and are actually a key indicator that a breakthrough is coming. So try to embrace that frustration if you want to live a creative life.

How can I make tracks more quickly and get that professional sound?

Practice: The key to mastery

Oh and one more thing. Know your equipment and instruments well. Remember ten thousand hours is the supposed time it takes to master something. In order to enter a flow state you need to not be constantly having to think about every action you take. Put in the hours and flow follows as the conscious mind lets go. Just look at a performer like Kink in action and it is easy to see how mastery of his selected instruments allows creativity and experimentation in his performances.

Risk taking, rule breaking and innovation all follow mastery of your machines. So learn them damn well and perhaps just focus on a few rather than constantly buying new bits of gear.

What can MYT do to help?

Want to find out more about flow and how to access this state in the studio? Check out our signature course, called The Flow System, for our comprehensive guide to enhancing your workflow and making your time in the studio count.

You can also benefit massively by being part of a productive, supportive community, which is exactly what we are. MYT AAA is a committed movement of Artists all inspiring each other to truly extraordinary heights in their musical careers, and you can be one of them. Click here for more information and how to join us