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University of Chicago psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
defines flow as being completely involved in an activity for its own sake.
His book Flow investigates the state of consciousness of optimal experience.
He looks into why and how at times we achieve high enjoyment, high yield.
He examines those moments which achieve lasting impacts in our lives.

Csikszentmihalyi followed up his work on flow with one on Creativity.
He finds that we create better when we achieve a state of flow.
Using examples drawn from decades of work,
he suggests that creativity can be nurtured.

Naturally, I see flow as an interactive phenomenon deeply rooted in play.
To maximize flow we have to be in touch with our environment.
Feedback becomes essential.
We have to sense the shores, so to speak, feel the terrain,
and at the same time remain faithful to the ways we play best.
This continuous reflexive negotiation makes us flow along our optimal ways.
Our flow defines who we are. This is a new form of existentialism.

Flow, being a form of play, is a gateway for emergence.
When we are entirely absorbed and in tune with an activity,
things begin to appear as if by their own will.
This creative flow bypasses restrictions we tend to impose to streamline thinking.
In this sense, when we flow we seem to be beyond thinking:
In flow we surprise ourselves . . . IT thinks for us.
This achieves optimal interactivity between thinker and thought.

Openings (most recent entries appear first)

Fuzzy Thinking.
It rests on the notion that everything is a matter of degree.
Fuzzy logic looks at varying shades of grey, rather than black or white.
It takes into account that situations are usually multivalent
and can be looked at from multiple points of view.

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interactive art space      © 2000 by luis o. arata   contents | here | there | everywhere