The possibilities of time II: flow. (Independent Music Teachers Forum).(enjoyment and human behavior )

Forty years ago Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi began his study of why people do things that have no extrinsic rewards. Contrary to models of human behavior based on survival, libido, fame, status or prestige, he observed that many people found profound enjoyment in an incredibly diverse list of activities that seemed to be powered by none of these motivators. Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced "chick-SENT-me-high") discovered incredible similarities in the characteristics of what people find profoundly enjoyable. He found this in research spanning four continents and cultures as diverse as Japanese motorcycle gangs and assembly-line workers in Chicago, rock dancers and chess masters, composers and high school basketball players. He calls the state of consciousness experienced in deep enjoyment "flow," and in its characteristics, we might find some very productive guidance for our work as musicians and teachers.

Csikszentmihalyi was professor of human development at the University of Chicago and currently is the Davidson Professor of Management at Claremont Graduate University in California. In the opinion of Multiple Intelligence Theorist Howard Gardner, his work is "profound and pathbreaking." It is also at the very core of success in our chosen profession. The thrust of the thesis is that many of us spend much of our day either bored or anxious, and by studying the characteristics of those who are in a "state of flow," we may increase our ability to enjoy our lives. The following five characteristic elements of the flow condition are directly relevant to us as musicians and teachers.

To achieve a "flow experience,"

1. Tasks must be within one's ability, but challenging enough to require full attention.

2. Attention must be centered on a limited field.

3. One must lose what is usually referred to as "self-consciousness."

4. One must feel in control of both his actions and his environment.