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The Pathway to Flow: The New Science of Harnessing Creativity to Heal and Unwind the Body & Mind
‘Wow, I love this book!’ Dr Jeff Rediger, Harvard Medical School | ‘Absolutely delightful’ Joseph Devlin, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL
Whether you feel in the zone – in the flow state – by playing an instrument, cooking, drawing, dancing or crafting, research shows that just 15 minutes of creativity a day can transform your life. Using neuroscience insights and inspiring stories of everyday artists, Dr Christensen uncovers how flow can help you experience the benefits of mindfulness without meditating.
After an injury derailed her career as a ballet dancer, Julia was unable to dance as a mode of expression, and felt more stressed and less energetic. She realised then that creative expression has a deeper impact than entertainment and embarked on a new career in psychology. Now working as a neuroscientist, she’s spent the past decade unlocking the secrets of flow, mapping out what happens in our brains when we create and play, and how both can soothe and sharpen the mind.
This book teaches us to harness our creativity every day, and
Why we ruminate or procrastinate – and how to snap out of it Why making even ‘bad’ art can be a mood booster How adopting a creative practice can improve problem-solving How to build a science-backed practice that suits you best Why art can be your trusted companion during trauma-healing
The Pathway to Flow offers cutting-edge insights into why all of us are artists at heart, and how embracing this part of our humanity can help us regulate our nervous system, enjoy the current moment and reconnect with our bodies.
Whether you feel in the zone – in the flow state – by playing an instrument, cooking, drawing, dancing or crafting, research shows that just 15 minutes of creativity a day can transform your life. Using neuroscience insights and inspiring stories of everyday artists, Dr Christensen uncovers how flow can help you experience the benefits of mindfulness without meditating.
After an injury derailed her career as a ballet dancer, Julia was unable to dance as a mode of expression, and felt more stressed and less energetic. She realised then that creative expression has a deeper impact than entertainment and embarked on a new career in psychology. Now working as a neuroscientist, she’s spent the past decade unlocking the secrets of flow, mapping out what happens in our brains when we create and play, and how both can soothe and sharpen the mind.
This book teaches us to harness our creativity every day, and
Why we ruminate or procrastinate – and how to snap out of it Why making even ‘bad’ art can be a mood booster How adopting a creative practice can improve problem-solving How to build a science-backed practice that suits you best Why art can be your trusted companion during trauma-healing
The Pathway to Flow offers cutting-edge insights into why all of us are artists at heart, and how embracing this part of our humanity can help us regulate our nervous system, enjoy the current moment and reconnect with our bodies.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2024
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August 25, 2025An ex ballet dancer becomes a neuroscientist, and misses the creative life.
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I got 100 pages into this… and just stopped. I do not know why; I LOVE Flow, and brain and science topics like this…
I did have a lot of library loans and this one just kept getting pushed away. Finally, realistically, I returned it.
So it is an ‘it’s not the book, it’s me’ kind of sitch.
did not finish
~~~
I got 100 pages into this… and just stopped. I do not know why; I LOVE Flow, and brain and science topics like this…
I did have a lot of library loans and this one just kept getting pushed away. Finally, realistically, I returned it.
So it is an ‘it’s not the book, it’s me’ kind of sitch.
did not finish
February 18, 2025
Wonderful read! Nice solution focused approaches with top tips you can apply to your life very clearly. It helped me understand positive and negative habits I may have and how to try again with some art forms I love that I have neglected a bit. Very timely read for me.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews