Flow: Why We Do What We Do

… After having a taste of that elusive Flow, we want to experience it again and again. It is almost addictive. It gives us a feeling that we may never have experienced in our lives before.

For actors, Flow is a state of immersion in which they lose their self-consciousness. It is, what I imagine those actors that believe in such things call being in character. The feeling of the loss of self in the activity.

Of course, it doesn’t apply to just actors. to read the full article go to Acting Coach

Flow is a state of optimal performance, but it also matches the level of the performer. The challenge must balance with the skill level. A high school performer in a high school performance may experience Flow. A high school performer in a major feature film may not experience Flow if the challenge outmatches their present skill/experience level. So experiencing Flow is not only restricted to top performers.

However as professional performers, the bar is raised and our skills must be developed to meet the level of the challenge. If we want to achieve the Flow stage again, we must prepare to meet its criteria:

• There are clear goals every step of the way.
• There is immediate feedback to one’s actions.
• There is a balance between challenges and skills.
• Action and awareness are merged.
• Distractions are excluded from consciousness.
• There is no worry of failure.
• Self-consciousness disappears.
• The sense of time becomes distorted.
• The activity becomes an end in itself.
• Training for actors must therefore assist the performer to meet these criteria for Flow.