The Actor, The Superhero & The State of Flow

A look at the 'Flow State' and how it may help life as an Actor

Hi Actor,

We've talked about effective practice being inherently challenging and uncomfortable (see past post), now I want to talk about the other kind of effective practice that only through initial discomfort can we achieve what feels both effortless and all consuming. The Flow State. There is, I'm sure, much literature out there on "what" and "how to access" 'The Flow State'. The book I'm drawing from in this post however is the wonderful book, 'Limitless' by Jim Kwik. It is a terrific read about all things "learning". Jim talks extensively about motivation, energy, memory, limiting belief systems, effective study and heaps more; all within the fun framing of heroes and villains. Check it out HERE if you're interested in giving it a read. There seems to have been a new release of the same book with new considerations surrounding AI too. Go grab yourself a copy and let me know what you think.

Note: He has a podcast called Kwik Brain, which is made up of bit sized episodes full of tips on all things learning!

Why Access Flow?

There has been much evidence showing that flow multiplies our productivity. Not to mention it's a lot of fun. It has been said to be addictive to the point where people are willing to sacrifice quite a lot to be able to experience it. Have you ever been so focused on a task where time seems to disappear and you've actually missed several meals in the process? I spent a lot of time creating visual art in my teenage years and I remember accessing that zone of focus regularly. Hours would just disappear in what seemed like moments. Now days, I can very easily access flow when playing video games. This sounds unimportant, looking at something recreational but perhaps it's a good way to start to identify it. Any gamers out there? How many meals have you missed entirely because you were locking into a game that had you hooked? I know I can get into a flow state with writing these articles too or reading a book on a topic I'm interested in.

Flow is an expression of optimal experience. Dr Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (the writer of 'Flow:The Psychology of Optimal Experience) defines it by 8 characteristics:

1. Absolute concentration.

2. Total focus on goals.

3. The sense that time is either speeding up or slowing down.

4. A feeling of reward from experience.

5. A sense of effortlessness.

6. The experience is challenging, but not overly so.

7. Your actions almost seem to be happening on their own.

8. You feel comfort with what you are doing.

Kwik goes onto say that there have been reports that suggest flow can make you up to five times more productive. Overall it seems to me to be a pretty invaluable too for an actor to consider having in their toolkit.

There is a predictable arc to flow that can help us structure a reliable approach to achieving it. As defined by Steven Kotler (Writer of The Rise of Superman), there are four stages of flow.

Stage 1: Struggle

We've spoked extensively on the zone of discomfort required for deep practice. (HERE). Aim to overcome any resistance, difficulty or challenge particularly in this beginning stage and you will find yourself building a kind of momentum in your work. Identify the struggle and push past it. This section, in fact, will feel like the opposite of flow. Be prepared for at least 15 minutes of focused struggle time before flow kicks in.

Stage 2: Relaxation

To avoid the burnout imminent from working in a zone of discomfort, take a short break (1-4 minutes) where needed - anything that will bring you a sense of relaxation before diving back into deep flow. This is decidedly different from a distraction that would pull your attention away from the current practice. Perhaps try a breathing or vocal exercise that would bring release and clarity of thought. You want to do something that is restorative and linked to your current goal, not a distraction from it.

Stage 3: Flow

This stage is that optimal experience. We are seemingly, effortlessly so, performing at our absolute best, reaching and repeating. Time passes us by. Our best work seems to be happening as a sort of happy byproduct of our work/ symptom of flow. This part is rewarding, addictive and exciting. We are equally challenged and capable.

Stage 4: Consolidation

This, as far as I understand it, is the point of reflection. You put together the progress you've made and review your work. Its a way of noting down what was achieved during your state of flow. Often this will feel disappointing or a bit of a let down, now that the high of the flow state has come to a close. Something seemingly very similar to "post show blues". Maybe not as intense, but perhaps we are discussing the same thing here. The good news? The next "high" can be just around the corner.

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Kolter believes that finding flow is the "source code" of motivation. When you find flow, you get "maybe the most potent dose of reward chemistry" your brain can give you - which is the reason he believes flow is the most addictive state on Earth. Once we start to feel flow experience, we are motivated to do what it takes to get more.

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How do we find Flow? Kwik offers 5 ways...

Eliminate Distractions

It can take anywhere up to 20 minutes to refocus ourselves after being distracted during flow so make sure you rid yourself the chance of that happening. Turn your phone off or utilise the "do not disturb" feature. If there is noise happening, consider closing the window/ door to quieten your workspace. Alternatively some may prefer playing some music that helps you quieten outside distractions. I particularly like wearing noise canceling headphones when studying.

Give Yourself Enough Time

Set a aside a period of 90 minutes or ideally 2 hours for the task. It's believed that it takes about 15 minutes for flow to kick in and about 45 minutes to hit peak performance level. Only setting a block of 30 minutes isn't going to cut it to start with. I am under the belief that with practice we should be able to access this state of flow faster, shortening the time required after some practice, but for the moment give yourself enough time to get there.

Do Something You Love

Follow your curiosity. If you know you need to up your accent game or master your self tape practice, set aside the time required to do that. Because we are actors, we likely love a majority of this creative journey so this step is likely to come easy. In my opinion actors set themselves up for success by having a self tape/ audition practice, a reading practice, a voice practice and a body practice, but what I think doesn't really matter - What do you think? What do you want to work on? Follow your curiosity.

Have Clear Goals

On a similar note to the last one which was about enjoyment/ aligning curiosity with your work, this one is being clear on the goal of the session. If in your vocal practice you need to access more breath capacity for an upcoming performance, make that your focus for the session. If you know you have a lot of nervous energy that comes out as unnecessary movement when you audition, make that the focus of your self taping practice.

Challenge Yourself

Make sure you're challenged by what you're doing. Wether that challenge is fighting "resistance"; pacing up a scene you barely know; learning lines on a timer; pushing into a new vocal range or trying a new accent you've never done before - the important thing is that you are reaching just a little bit beyond your current abilities.

What Gets In The Way?

Now that we have set ourselves up to succeed, it's worth investigating these last few considerations. In 'Limitless', Kwik, being a bit of a self proclaimed geek, frames many of the components of the book with the symbolism of superheroes and supervillains. Having been a fan of comic books as a child and growing up to actually work with the cast of X-men, it gives the book a really wonderful framework. I also love thinking of our unique abilities and skills as "superpowers". It lights a fire in my heart for the little creative kid in me. The next part is what Kwik refers to as "The Super Villains of Flow". Multitask, Stress, Fear of Failure & Lack Of Conviction.

Multitask

Being a "master multitasker" is not synonymous with learning, focus or flow. Research has proven that people who multitask are far less productive than those who focus on one task at a time. So just make a promise to yourself that while you are working away at the task at hand, you are just doing that. Don't make calls, text, check socials, converse with others about things unrelated to the practice session. The focus of that time is totally and utterly on the task at hand.

"The only way to vanquish the supervillain Multitask is to ignore him completely."

Stress

If you have stressors from outside it can be nearly impossible to lock in and work with the focus required to access this optimal experience. Even if we manage to lock in for a short period of time, this monster is always there watching us from the shadows and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. So to defeat this super villain we must address it by looking at it directly in the eye and asking a question.

Is there anything that I must deal with before I can get into flow?

If the answer is yes, deal with that and then come back to your session once you're finished. Chances are though, the answer will be no. It's not that the stressor isn't real, it's just that if it doesn't require your immediate action (in two hours it won't be any worse) or there is nothing you can do about it at the moment, then putting it aside for now and placing your mind on the task at hand is the best course of action.

Fear Of Failure

Ah, this foe is probably the most common for actors.

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"Perfectionism reduces creativity and innovation"

"It is a steady source of emotions; rather than reaching towards something positive, those in it's grip are focused on the very thing they most want to avoid - negative evaluation. Perfectionism, then is an endless report card; it keeps people completely self-absorbed, engaged in perpetual self-evaluation - reaping relentless frustration and doomed for anxiety and depression."

Hara Estroff Marano - Psychology Today.

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If you go into as task with the belief that you absolutely must perform this task perfectly and that failure will be devastating, you're going to be so focused on not failing that you'll never get into a state where you can truly excel.

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The zone of discomfort is all about making mistakes and correcting and reaching and falling and getting back up. You're committing to yourself that you will indeed get bruised (metaphorically speaking of course - unless you are talking about training in combat sport or stunt work - then maybe, you will definitely be literally bruised!!!) but you will learn because of it. By getting out of your comfort zone you can grow. This is exactly what perfectionism doesn't allow. So rid yourself of the result driven work, of perfectionism, of the big ol' critic in your brain. Actually aim to embarrass yourself and fail. Once your get comfortable with failing you'll be unstoppable. Acceptance of imperfection is the way to defeat this supervillain.

Lack Of Conviction

A lack of belief in what you're doing will also bring you down and out of flow. So we need to find a way to handle this final evil foe. If you don't believe you're going to achieve the goal set out to you, you pretty well guarantee that that will be the outcome. Ask yourself:

• Do I have the necessary skills to do this?

• Do I have all the information I need to do this?

• Do I have enough passion for the project to do this?

If the answer to any of these is "No" - go and work on the necessary skills, finding the info & cultivate the passion/ curiosity required to do the task. Once you can answer yes to all three of these questions, you've taken down this final supervillain and can dive deep into your practice of flow.

Final Thoughts

I really think the flow state is an invaluable tool for any actor to use in their own practice. It allows you to put in the hours into mastering the profession, while the time flies by. It discards any self consciousness and puts our mind on the goal/ task at hand. Our actions become a byproduct of the focused session which set us up to do some really bold, interesting and inherently unique work, not to mention the high you experience from pushing, reaching, learning and growing.

Be creative with how you use flow as you can apply it to every skill required of an actor. Have a little think to yourself as to how you could develop your own "flow-powered laboratory" where you can play and experiment with any skill/ superpower of your choosing.

I think we really covered a solid foundation here, thanks to Jim Kwik and his references - Dr Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Steven Kotler & Hara Estroff Marano . If you have any insights yourself that you would be open to sharing in the comments section, I would love to hear what you have to say (remember to leave your name). If you don't want share publicly, feel free to contact me directly on lachlanstuartactor@gmail.com . As always, I look forward to hearing from you!

Summary

• Why should we access flow?

  • For productivity

  • It's fun

• What are the 8 characteristics of flow?

  • Absolute concentration.

  • Total focus on goals.

  • Time speeds up or slows down.

  • Rewarding

  • Effortlessness.

  • Challenging, but not overly so.

  • Actions seem to be happening on their own.

  • Comfort with what you are doing.

• What are the stages of flow?

  • Struggle

  • Relaxation

  • Flow

  • Consolidation

• What are 5 ways to finding flow?

  • Eliminate distractions

  • Give yourself enough time

  • Do something you love

  • Have clear goals

  • Challenge yourself

• What gets in the way of achieving flow?

  • Multitasking

  • Stress

  • Fear of failure

  • Lack of conviction

Talk soon,

Lachy

Lachlan is an Australian Actor who has been working within the industry nearing a decade. He’s worked in Film & Theatre.

© Lachlan Stuart 2025