Following the Flow

People talk about being “in the flow” all the time. But what does that really mean?

At the beginning of January, I created my annual mind map for the year. I filled the large sheet of paper with possibilities, hopes, and ideas: art projects, writing projects, things I wanted to learn, and more. I even spent time playing with a 90-day plan.

These kind of activities give me something of a roadmap, helping to create something of a foundation for the months ahead.

But as with any map, some of the most memorable journeys happen when you take the side roads.

It’s the unexpected detours that often reveal vistas you never would have experienced if everything had gone exactly as planned. Have you ever faced a road closure and been forced to take a less direct route? At first it can feel like you’re being pushed off course. The new path might take longer. There may be moments when you wonder if you are getting lost.

What you don’t know in that moment of being rerouted is what you might gain.

More than once I have become so very grateful for the detour. The scenery I experienced along the way became part of the journey itself… sometimes, the best part. And if the planned route had remained open, I would have missed it entirely.

Detours are a common experience within the creative process. Every diversion carries the possibility of a new and wonderful adventure.

So yes, I may have begun the year with a plan… But by the end of January something unexpected started tugging at me… DAILY!! A new series of paintings began to show up in my minds eye. This series was not even a thought when I created the plan for this year.

But my plans are never set in stone. For me, an important part of any plan is the flexibility to explore what is asking to be created. I tune in and listen to what’s nudging me. And then I have a choice: to stay the course, or follow what is rising to the surface… whether that means beginning something entirely new or shifting direction within a current project.

Clinging too tightly to a plan can deny the natural flow of ideas and creative energy.

Imagine standing beside a river of ideas, watching the current move past you, and deciding to block it because you believe you should be doing something else. The river is moving, yet you try to stop it with shoulds, musts, and expectations.

Why would we try to stop a river?

The flow of ideas is part of the creative process.

Even within a single creative effort, flow plays a role.

You might begin with a clear idea for a painting, a book, a project. That initial spark becomes the foundation for the work, a place to begin.

The original concept may remain, yet the process itself introduces new discoveries. New observations appear. Different methods present themselves. Explorations lead somewhere unexpected. Meanwhile, both you and the piece are evolving together.

The work begins to show you where it wants to go. And when you allow that process to unfold, the experience becomes richer than anything you might have planned at the start.

Following the flow does not mean abandoning direction. It means recognizing when something new is trying to become part of the journey.

Plans can guide us. They can help us begin. But the side roads, the detours, and the unexpected turns often lead to something quite magical.