The Psychological Concept of Flow – A Personal Experience
In a previous article I discussed the psychological concept of Flow. Let me give you an example of a memorable flow experience.
I had been taking private instructions in violin performance for several years with no public performances outside of the recitals with other students. I was uncomfortable with my abilities as a violinist until my teacher mentioned one day that I was ready to play with a music group. I contacted a small pops orchestra in my hometown and began rehearsing with them.
As I became more comfortable with the orchestra my confidence rose and soon I played in my first public concert. I enjoyed the experience so much that I remained with the orchestra for several years before moving to a symphony orchestra. Having played with the pops orchestra, I immediately became comfortable with the new setting and enjoyed many years of playing very beautiful classical music.
But that is not the end of the story!
I had always appreciated the beauty and strength of solo performers and one day I was offered the opportunity to play traditional classical violin and piano pieces at my church. I was intrigued with the possibility of joining the small world of solo performers that I greatly respected. I practiced a few pieces with the pianist and was ready for my solo debut. I would play Schubert’s Ave Maria as a prelude.
I thought that I was ready! Unfortunately, when the time came to play I became overwhelmed with anxiety. I wasn’t sure if it was the size of the church or the 200 plus parishioners sitting in the pews starring at me, or both. I did finish the piece but, to be kind, it was not a memorable moment. One major fear of violinists is the body’s reaction to the exposed nature of solo performing. And my body reacted no differently to that exposure. My left hand was under control but my right arm, the bow arm, shook. And, as you might expect, a trembling bow on a string produces a very unpleasant sound, one that the player only wishes would end quickly.
Despite the setback, I did persevere – after all, if you are going to put in thousands of hours practicing scales, arpeggios, and etudes, you might as well do what you enjoy doing. So, my performance the following week was filled with less nervousness, as was the third and the fourth, etc.
Finally, after several months of diminishing nervousness, I played a piece without any signs of anxiety and my self-esteem rose dramatically. My tone, vibrato, rhythm, and pitch were spot on. And from that performance onward my anxiety was under control. The butterflies were still in my stomach, especially when performing more difficult pieces, but the anxiety was under control. And the most remarkable thing was that I became absorbed in the music, time went fast, playing was effortless, and each note on the sheet music appeared as large as a dime. I was “in the flow” and my self-esteem grew allowing me to tackle more difficult pieces without any further undo anxiety.
Please share with us thoughts about this very important psychological concept of flow!
Oliver Abel had devoted the last several years to the study of personal happiness and well-being. He has a major scientific research article awaiting publication in an academic journal. Please visit http://www.360degreehappiness.com and join a unique journey to find your work and personal happiness based on the works of great thinkers, scientists, researchers, religious leaders, and artists of the world.