The Pathway to Flow

Dr. Julia F. Christensen is a Danish neuroscientist and former dancer currently working as a senior scientist at the Max-Planck-Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in Germany. She studied psychology, human evolution, and neuroscience in France, Spain and the UK. For her postdoctoral training, she worked in international, interdisciplinary research labs at University College London, City, University London and the Warburg Institute, London and was awarded a postdoctoral Newton International Fellowship by the British Academy.>

Autorentext
Dr. Julia F. Christensen is a Danish neuroscientist and former dancer currently working as a senior scientist at the Max-Planck-Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in Germany. She studied psychology, human evolution and neuroscience in France, Spain and the UK. For her postdoctoral training, she worked in international interdisciplinary research labs at University College London, City, University London and the Warburg Institute, London and was awarded a postdoctoral Newton International Fellowship by the British Academy.

Klappentext

HARNESS THE POWER OF FLOW IN 2025: NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

'Wow, I love this book!' Dr Jeff Rediger, Harvard Medical School | 'Absolutely delightful' Joseph Devlin, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL | 'I thoroughly recommend reading this beautiful book' David Robson

Whether you feel in the zone by playing an instrument, cooking, drawing, dancing or crafting, research shows that just 15 minutes a day channelling creative "flow" can transform your life. Using neuroscience and inspiring stories of everyday artists, Dr Christensen uncovers how the coveted flow state can help you experience mindfulness benefits without meditating.

After an injury derailed her career as a ballet dancer, Julia's inability to dance left her more stressed and less energetic. She realised then that creative expression has a deeper impact than entertainment: this sparked her new career in psychology. 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 ignite our creativity daily, revealing:

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 reveals why we are all 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.

Zusammenfassung

Whether it's playing an instrument, cooking, drawing or dancing, 15 minutes of creativity of flow state a day can transform your life. Max Planck Institute neuroscientist and former dancer Dr Christensen unveils the new science of mindfulness and the flow state, revealing the secrets behind our lost focus and how to unwind without meditating.

After an injury derailed her career as a ballet dancer, Julia F. Christensen embarked on a new path as a neuroscientist. Her study of psychology turned her into her own first case study: unable to dance as a mode of expression, she felt more stress and less motivation. After finding relief by drawing, she turned to science to unlock the secrets to the flow state, mapping out what happens in our brains when we create and play, and how both can soothe the mind.

This book teaches us to harness our inner creativity, and reveals:

· Why we ruminate or procrastinate and it's not our fault
· Why even just making 'bad art' is 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 a powerful trauma-healing tool.

The Pathway to Flow offers a cutting-edge insight into why all of us are artists at heart, and how embracing this part of our humanity can help us regulate our nervous system without meditating.