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Mrs. Ellen Howard

The Art of Flow

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“The self expands through acts of self forgetfulness.”

 – Mihály Csíkszentmihályi

What is Flow? Why is it important in the creative arts and how do I find it?

Flow can be defined simply as “Optimal Experience” or “as the mental state of being completely present and fully immersed in a task, outside distractions recede from consciousness and one’s mind is fully open and attuned to the act of creating. There is very little self-awareness or critical self-judgment; just intrinsic joy for the task.” –Barry Kaufman

As artists there are times when we feel blocked, stuck and frustrated with our lack of artistic output and there are other times when we are riding the great artistic flow, living in the optimal experience of hitting our artistic goals and producing art on a regular basis. By better understanding our own creative flow, we can diagnose where the kinks in our creative life are so that we can get back on track.  Not only is it important to look at how we can facilitate artistic flow, but also how we can create flow in our everyday lives. One thing that has helped me keep centered and be better able to be in flow artistically is to exercise regularly, take a long walk in the outdoors, spend time at the gym, or go for a swim; these do wonders for me. Visiting with friends & family, listening to music and reading also put me in a good state of mind. As does a great glass of red wine.

Being in flow contributes to overall happiness. Mihaly states “Happiness is not something that happens. It is not the result of good fortune or random chance. It is not something that money can buy or power command. It does not depend on outside events, but, rather, on how we interpret them. Happiness, in fact, is a condition that must be prepared for, cultivated, and defended privately by each person.” I believe that you can find opportunities to cultivate happiness in your everyday life.  You don’t have to wait for an annual vacation or special event.  Any day you can go to your favorite restaurant, visit a friend, walk on the beach or do your favorite activity. These outside activities will help you achieve your artistic flow more easily.

The following are six characteristics based upon the leading research of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” that are present when we are operating in flow.

  1. Intense and focused concentration on the present moment (You are in the now.)
  2. Merging of action and awareness (You are in the flow.)
  3. A loss of reflective self-consciousness (Your self gets out of the way!)
  4. A sense of personal control or agency over the situation or activity. (mastery)
  5. A distortion of time (Time flies by or slows down because of your complete focus.)
  6. Experience of the activity as intrinsically rewarding (based upon the goals you have set for yourself.)

Three components that Csikszentmihalyi also lists as being essential to flow are:

  • Immediate feedback
  • Feeling that you have the potential to succeed
  • Feeling so engrossed in the experience, that other needs become negligible.

Mihaly explains, “Optimal experience depends on the ability to control what happens in consciousness moment by moment, each person has to achieve it on the basis of his own individual efforts and creatively.”

I believe flow is a very important component in the visual arts. The paintings I have painted while I was experiencing flow are by far better than the ones that I have tried to push (or force my way) through. These are the paintings that seem to fall off my brush and are readily noticed by art lovers, collectors, friends and my fellow artists. They are also the paintings that get usually get accepted into national shows or have won awards. Flow is the state I am always aiming for.

One of the keys to understanding how flow works for you is to understand how you best work as an artist. For me, flow happens three different ways and I need all these approaches to do my best work. I can achieve flow through:

  1. Participating in art competitions (combines 1, 2 & 5)
  2. Focusing on my own deep study (combines 4 & 6)
  3. Painting with my fellow artists (combines 3 & 6)

When I compete in a plein air event, the elements of flow are usually present for me.  I am intensely focused, I am challenged by the changing light, time constraints and fellow competitors, time flies by and I find the experience very rewarding. Because you are in a competition the feedback on your efforts is immediate, you can judge your efforts based on your own goals, by viewing other artist’s work and sometimes by the award results.

Mihaly states that “The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times… The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

This painting “Out on the Edge”, 12×12 was created at the Mendocino Open Paint Out this past September. I remember painting on the side of the cliff and just experiencing the wonderful weather, the crash of the waves hitting the cliffs and the strong light and shadow pattern in the water. This painting was later accepted into the California Art Club’s “A Journey Through Central California” exhibition. Being in a competition and painting alongside many artists created a flow experience for me.

“Out on the Edge” by Ellen Howard
12″ x 12″

I know that I also need my quiet time as a painter and time to study on my own. I was recently an Artist in Residence up in Mendocino. Unfortunately, the month that I was there, the weather forecasts were for wind and rain.  Not conducive to plein air painting!  So, I brought up several books on painting ocean waves. I had a choice to study or complain. I chose to study.

One of the books I read was E. John Robinson’s “The Seascape Painters Problem book.” I read about the form of the wave, how to set up a stronger composition and how the light in the sky relates to the ocean. There were a couple days where I was able to get great photos. One such day was at Mendocino Botanical Gardens one day; where I saw incredible waves and gorgeous cloud formations. This painting “The Onslaught” , 11×14 was painted from a photo I took, but also from my experience on location and from the information I learned in Robinson’s book. Later, I learned, Robinson lived in Mendocino for a time and had a mural at St. Anthony’s Church there. It was great for me to see his work in person. The Director of Marketing at the Mendocino Art Center was also Robinson’s son in law. We had a great conversation about his work and his life as an artist-there are no coincidences. I felt this experience put me in Flow; focused effort, mastery over my understanding of the area and painting technique, rewarding experience and completing my goals. I feel that the connection to Robinson’s work and the area was my immediate feedback.

“On Slaught” by Ellen Howard
11″ x 14″

The third component of Flow for me is engaging in activities with other artists. I really enjoy, listening to artist talks, seeing demos, viewing another person’s artwork and painting with them. These activities all produce flow for me. Studies done by St. Bonaventure University found that students rated flow to be more enjoyable when in a team rather than when they were alone.

Last month, Jeff Sewell came to San Francisco to do a demo on painting oceans for the San Francisco Chapter of the California Art Club.  Jeff did his demo to a packed house and it was great to learn about his approach to painting seascapes. Jeff focused on composition and creating form in the wave. Jeff invited everyone who attended the demo to join us in Pescadero for an impromptu paint out. For me, not only did I learn from the demo, but I learned from the other attendees. On Sunday, things just aligned for me to experience flow, we had great weather, a wonderful group of supportive & enthusiastic artists. There was lots of camaraderie among them. I chose to stand on my own on one of the cliffs, but I could see everyone from my vantage point. I felt calm, focus and very contented. We all established a great creative atmosphere. I painted “The Surge”, 12×12 that day in Pescadero and was happy with the result.

“The Surge” by Ellen Howard
12″ x 12″

As artists we need to find that voice inside us and inner calm to be our best artistic selves. Each of us has different motivations that we operate best at and types of stimuli that will help us achieve our artistic goals.   As the Swiss physician & alchemist states “Thoughts create a new heaven, a new firmament, a new source of energy, from which new arts flow.”

“California Dreaming” by Ellen Howard

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

–Aristotle

To see and learn more please visit ellenhowardart.com

Building Art Communities – Creating Collaborative Circles

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I am fascinated by group dynamics and how being a part of a group can lead you to accomplish more, feel more connected, and be more successful. Why do groups of ordinary people create a performance far beyond the sum of their individual skills? How can we as artists create collaborative groups to help us further our skill level and improve our mental outlook? How do we build art communities?
What is a collaborative circle? In Michael Farrell’s book Collaborative Circles, he states that collaborative circles usually begin as a casual association among acquaintances working in the same discipline. Members of a social network meet and find they enjoy one another’s company. Most circles consist of a core group that meet frequently, and a peripheral extended group who vary in their degree of involvement. Some examples of these successful groups are: Kandisky and the Bleu Rider Group, Freud and his early collaborators, John Steinbeck and his Pacific Grove circle and C.S. Lewis, J. R.R Tolkien and the Inklings.
One of the collaborative groups that strikes me is the group of impressionists that included Monet, Renoir, Bazille & Sisley. Monet was the leader of this group. This core group interacted more frequently, and they began to piece together the insights that crystalized a new vision of what art should be. Peripheral members of this group were Degas, Cezzane, Manet, and Pissarro. Berthe Morisot was considered part of this group, but was not allowed to attend meetings due to her gender. Each member of the group had their strengths and all were willing to share their expertise with each other. One of the incredible benefits of this collaborative group was the start of plein air painting.
In 1894, Monet’s working studio was closed and he persuaded the group to paint plein air. Outdoor painting was not approved by the academy members, and Monet, the most rebellious member, encouraged the group to try this forbidden activity. This core group went through many trials and many rejections from the Salons and the Academy, but stayed together to share an artistic vision. Farrell explains that “towards the end of their group’s life together, Monet and Renoir ended up painting alongside each other the most. They painted boats and swimmers and began to experiment with using sharply contrasting, unmixed color to give the effect of shimmering life on the water that no one else had achieved before. It enabled them to portray the transitory effects of light and atmosphere–goals they had been pursuing for years. These men arrived at their artistic vision by commenting on each other’s work, experimenting, making mistakes –it is unlikely that they would have discovered this new style alone.”
How incredible would it be to be part of a group like this?! What are the characteristics that make a great group? In Daniel Coyle’s book “The Culture Code,” he talks about three primary attributes that make strong groups:
1. Building safety–exploring how signals of connection generate bonds of belonging and identity
2. Sharing vulnerability–how mutual risk drives trusting cooperation
3. Establishing purpose–creating shared goals and values.
Monet, Renoir, Bazille and Silsey had all three of these attributes working in their group.
Successful groups also view themselves as a family, and have distinct patterns of interactions. These interactions include a profuse amount of eye contact, physical touch (handshakes, hugs), high level mixing–everyone talks to everyone–lots of questions, humor & laughter, and intensive active listening, in essence, chemistry. Where can we find these types of groups in our own communities?
I just finished teaching a 3 day workshop in Mendocino at the Mendocino Art Center, and as I reflect back on this experience I can see that my group shared these three attributes for our short time together–we had chemistry. My class had 12 students, all coming from vastly different backgrounds, ages, and skill levels. The first day we did introductions and talked about our background and art experience. My focus was on building common knowledge to start creating the groundwork for a sense of safety. I also showed many examples of my Mendocino sketches and paintings to the class. I was very open and showed them not only my successful sketches and paintings, but also my unsuccessful work. In an attempt to build vulnerability, I tried to explain why one sketch/painting turned out more successfully than another. Lastly, I stressed to the group what our three goals in the workshop were: drawing a thumbnail sketch before each painting, connecting the lights and darks in the composition, and concentrating on their focal point. Focusing on these three goals helped to establish the group’s purpose. I sensed my group of students felt safe, were willing to be vulnerable with each other, and strive for these mutual goals. It was amazing to me how much laughter and comradery we shared in such a short amount of time. When I look at the list of attributes of successful groups I can see my group scored high on mixing, asking lots of questions, and enjoying humor and laughter. I believe that because of these things, each of my students painted better, and felt like a member of a connected group. It is my hope that this class may cause some ‘spin off’ collaborative circles, much as a pebble creates multiple rings in water.

Plein air group enjoying painting at MacKerricher State Park in Mendocino


Another way to be a part of a collaborative circle is through an art organization. I am very lucky to be part of a collaborative team with the California Art Club (CAC). Paul Kratter and I are the co-chairs for the San Francisco Chapter of CAC, but the Club, its Executive Team, the other Chapter Chairs, and large number of Artist members make up this wonderful group. Like many other art organizations, CAC promotes exhibition opportunities, paint outs, demos, and workshops where artists can come together and share their knowledge. I could see the benefits of our collaborative circle at our last two SF Chapter paint outs. We had very senior artists and brand new artists both in attendance. I could see the excitement of the new artists as they met some of the more established artists they admired, and I could also see the pleasure and new energy the seasoned artists felt. The energy and chemistry in a good group is tangible, and can lead you to develop new ideas and techniques in your work, and most importantly, can help establish new friendships.

For the last 14 years Paul Kratter and Bill Cone have organized a pack trip to the Sierras. This group has its core group of artists, but has extended invitations to many other artists over the years. For a week you belong to the Sierra pack group. You share the same backpacking and painting experience, and are able to work alongside your fellow artists and exchange ideas and insights. It is a collaborative group!
Sierra Pack trip group photo

Sierra pack trip artists at work
Sierra pack trip artists at work

Another benefit of being in a group is helping to maintain a healthy social life, which is essential to our well-being. This has been documented in countless sociological studies. People need to feel a sense of bonding – like belonging and connectedness. People frequently bond through common experiences and interests. According to Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, “socializing over creative acts promotes more than happiness; studies indicate it promotes health, too.” The study reports that socially active elders experience a slower rate of memory loss than those who aren’t; “in fact, memory decline among the most integrated was less than half the rate among the least integrated.”
Art has significant psychological and social benefits, which can contribute to quality of life. So in addition to sharing your art expertise and experiencing a higher skill level, you gain a broader sense of well-being by being in a creative group.
You don’t have to teach a workshop, help lead an art organization, or participate in a backpacking trip to be in a collaborative group — you can begin with just one other artist who shares a common goal with you. When starting out, try and pick someone with similar goals who compliments your strengths and weaknesses. Borrowing from JFK, “always ask yourself what you can bring to a group instead of asking what the group can do for you.” Try to establish a set meeting time – like once a month – and stick to it. Your group could start out as a small plein air painting group with a focus on enjoying the outdoors and improving your ability to see colors more correctly outdoors. Be patient, have fun, be open to new ideas, and be flexible! You never know if history will write about your group like Monet’s.

Put Yourself Out There!

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As artists, we are forced to open up and put our inner thoughts and emotions into our artwork, then out on display for the whole world to see. A lot of times we get negative feedback, such as “It is with regret that we inform you that your painting: ……… was not selected for inclusion in this year’s show. The participation and quality of work submitted was exceptional. The jurors had a very difficult job of selecting show paintings from the paintings entered.  Unfortunately, your artwork was not selected for this exhibition, however, please join us for the opening of this year’s exhibition”, and it hurts.
I was just starting to paint and gather up the courage to enter shows, then I would receive something like the above. I was disappointed, but I was also more motivated to improve my skills, dig a bit deeper and become a better painter. I progressed a bit more in my artistic career by painting more regularly and getting constructive feedback from several close teachers. I came into a period of artistic bliss where I was starting to get into more events and accepted to more exhibitions. During this time I helped co-organize an exhibition called “Northern California Impressionism” at the Peninsula Museum of Art. It was an exhibition with nineteen nationally-known artists that was designed around the theme of “plein air to studio”. It was definitely a high for me to work with these noted artists, participate in this exhibit and bring our work to the Peninsula Museum of Art for the community. The exhibit was very well attended and several magazine articles were written about it. Life couldn’t be better.
As this show was closing I applied to 5-6 exhibitions and plein air events. The notifications about these shows would come in three to four months. As the time approached, I was very hopeful that I’d get into at least one of these shows. But as you probably guessed I did not get into any of the shows.
Before, the rejection did not hurt as much because I was not as hard on myself, I figured that it was because I did not have as much experience as the other artists or because there were obvious mistakes in my art. But this time, the rejection really hurt, especially because I was not sure what I was doing wrong in my work – especially after my recent successes! I confided in another artist who is farther along in their journey and success as an artist and they said “What this is telling you is that your work is missing something”. It was hard to hear, but I appreciated their honesty. I started to look closely at my work to see what was missing. This idea of this “something” missing from my paintings was starting to get to me. At this time, I was reading “Art & Fear” by David Bayles & Ted Orland and came across this quote,
“The lessons you are meant to learn are in your work. To see them, you need only look at the work clearly – without judgment, without fear, without wishes or hopes. Without emotional expectations. Ask your work what it needs, not what you need. Then set aside your fears and listen, the way a good parent listens to a child”
(Bayles, D., & Orland, T. (2001). Art & Fear. Image Continuum Press Edition).
So, I did.
The next time I went to the studio, I spent a lot of time analyzing my paintings and looking at work by other artists that I admired. I tried to push away my biases and put myself in the shoes of another artist or juror. I then asked myself what was wrong. What would I change? Why would I choose this painting for a show? Using this method of objectively judging my own work, I was starting to see what was missing.
About the same time, I got a call from a local art organization that saw my web site. They told me that they liked my work and asked me to do a demo. I said yes, but I was nervous. This would be my second demo ever, and my confidence was down from those recent rejections. I did not want to disappoint the people who had come to learn from me.
Having to do a demo for a group motivated me. I wanted to do a good demo so the group could learn some new skills and techniques. I decided to paint a marshland with water reflections. I spent several days at the marshes taking photos and painting small 6″x8″ studies. I drew several compositions and charcoal value studies of the designs. Then, I painted two 9″x12″ and used my 6″x8″ studies and drawings as references. A week later at my demo, I felt prepared and excited to talk to the group. My demo went very well and the group had lots of good questions for me. The group really liked my work and said it was peaceful and tranquil. They also commented that with all the tension in the world it was great to be transported to a peaceful place where they could come relax and focus on art.
The work that I did for this demo and the positive feedback I received put me back on track. I got my confidence back. I began to use this process of objective judgement to produce better paintings and my skill level started improving again.

“Last Light” and “Reverence” by Ellen Howard
“Last Light” and “Reverence”
Ellen Howard

Several months later I entered the two 9″x12″ paintings I did for the demo in some shows. Both 9″x12″, titled “Last Light” and “Reverence” were accepted into the Laguna Plein Air Painters exhibit titled: “California, The Golden State” and then on July 28th I received:
CONGRATULATIONS!
Your entry “Last Light” has been accepted into NOAPS 2017 Best of America Exhibition and will be hosted by The Castle Gallery Fine Art in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The two 6″x8″ studies I did for this demo were chosen for exhibit by my gallery in Marblehead, MA.

From this experience, I’ve realized that a person’s development and artistic success does not go in a straight line. Rather it goes up and down, just like life. Progress in art is very personal.
“Look at your work and it tells you how it is when you hold back or when you embrace. When you are lazy, your artwork is lazy; when you hold back, it holds back; when you hesitate, it stands there staring, hands in its pocket. But when you commit, it comes on like blazes”. (Bayles, D., & Orland, T. (2001). Art & Fear. Image Continuum Press Edition.)
Since then, I’ve been in another positive growth period. I can see that I am more consistent with my work and I’m making the same mistakes less and less frequently. I don’t compare my work with others. I compete with myself and ask, how can I improve? How can I paint that scene better? Did I capture the light? Did I push the colors enough? It is a good place to be right now.
“Naïve passion, which promotes work done in ignorance of obstacles, becomes – with courage – informed passion, which promotes work done in full acceptance of those obstacles”.
(Bayles, D., & Orland, T. (2001). Art & Fear. Image Continuum Press Edition.
For me, I can’t think that I will progress if I play it safe. I need to take chances in my work and to say “yes” to opportunities that might make me feel a little uncomfortable at first, but will make me grow as a person and as an artist. It’s amazing to me that a little push in the right direction can bring unexpected and pleasant surprises. If you don’t take a shot, you’ll never hit the target – so you gotta take that shot!