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Early Morning Walk Boosts Flow

Early morning walks increase flow.
Here comes the sun. Take a walk with that Beatle tune to grow flow at dawn.

Encounter Flow with Walk at Dawn

Taking a morning walk is part of my daily self-care routine. Wailing helps me to focus. First, it improves my attention on my surroundings. Then, the joy I find spills over into what I am trying to achieve with business, which includes much writing. Finally, it helps me process my life in general. Moreover, I look to experts on creativity for a continual source of inspiration. Let’s take a look at two of them below.

How Experts Walk Towards Creativity

Creativity expert, Julia Cameron’s diamond-like fire is found in her creativity. Her brilliance flares in her work. She is a playwright, poet, movie critic, composer, and fiction writer. Furthermore, she a forerunner in creative awakening. One of the tools of The Artist Way, a self-paced or group 12-week course created by Cameron, is a daily morning walk. Cameron believes that walking is half of a communication set. First, she advises her readers and students to write three stream-of-conscious pages by hand. She coined the practice, Morning Pages.  Then, she says to take the walk. Here’s why: The first asks questions or renders prayers to God. Then, the other allows us to receive directions and flashes of insight, she explains in The Artist Way. Cameron appeared yesterday in The New York Times. There she discussed her take on living a creative life. See the article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/02/style/julia-cameron-the-artists-way.html

Another expert on creativity is my friend, Kelly Dumar. She, like Cameron, is a multi-facet jewel of a literary artist. She’s a playwright, fiction writer, author, poet, lecturer, and creative workshop leader. And, a fine and caring friend. She frequently encourages me and many others to write daily. In her daily blog, #NewThisDay Writing from my Photo Stream Daily Blog, Kelly gives her readers ponderings of family life, travel, and work through the prism of her nature photography. These photos are shot during her morning walks – often with her faithful dogs, Charlie and Suzi. She leads a full and busy schedule, which is anchored in her ritual of early morning walks. To see more of her intriguing work and learn about her workshop schedule, look here: http://www.kellydumar.com/blog

Your Turn

Make a commitment to walk this week. Whether it is first thing in the morning, as recommended above, or at different times of the day. Try a variety of routes. If you need inspiration to get started, see this week’s blog posts for cityscapes, beach strolls, and walks in the woods. You never know what you might find when you actively seek creative flow.

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa

 

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Dive Deep and Dark to Mirror Flow

Flow Found in Deep and Dark Silence

Willing to go deep to find flow? Good. There are so many ordinary places to look. Moreover, finding flow can ground us in the dark corners of our days. I passed the reflection of a pond leading to a lake near my home. There was no breeze so the bodies of water shown silver like mirrors. The images of cypress and ancient oak were cast on the dark water. There are two questions to bring to this daily exercise. First, where do we turn to for a deep and dark dive? Second, what do we bring along for the experience? Let’s consider it below.

Mirror images help creatives to find their flow.

Where to Go for Dark and Deep Dive

There are many places to go for a reflective experience. First, we can meditate. My favorite place to do that is in my backyard under the stars when weather permits. If not, near a window. Next, we can take time to journal mid-day to check in with ourselves. Just a paragraph or two usually does the trick. And as I mentioned above, a stroll around the neighborhood or a lake, river, or pond at the edges of day rejuvenates the soul. I borrow the term edges of the day from my friend, Suzi Banks Baum, a creative who herself notices the thresholds of day and night. Be mindful throughout the day. Then, find these places right at the tips of your finger or the soles of your feet.

What to Bring Along

What you bring along is simple enough. For starters, bring an observer’s eye. See what is symbolic in the snowy egret standing in the rain perched on one leg. Can we, too, be defiant and still walk in stormy weather? Also, bring an honest heart to hear the truth. Maybe the journal entry is repeatedly about being tired. Is more shuteye needed or might a doctor’s visit be in order?

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa