October 23, 2024

You know that feeling when you're so immersed in a creative project that time seems to stop? When you're working at the outer edge of your capability, yet things are falling into place? That's what psychologists call a “flow state.”But for many people, the demands of daily life make that kind of focused, joyful work feel impossible. Between endless to-do lists and constant demands on our attention, deep creative work can seem like an unattainable dream. Here's the secret no one tells you: Flow isn't magic. You don't need the kiss of the muse or the stars to align to make it happen. With a bit of strategy and planning, you can deliberately create the conditions for flow in your life and work. 

In this talk, cartoonist and coach Jessica Abel will share three concrete steps to tame the chaos and make flow a regular part of your creative practice. Fair warning: it takes facing some hard truths and making tough choices. But isn't it worth it to spend more time doing the work you love? 

Jessica Abel is a graphic novelist, author, business coach for creatives, and the founder of Autonomous Creative. Since 1992, Abel has published with indie houses, commercial publishers, magazines, newspapers, and as a self-publisher. Among her works is Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio (Penguin Random House), and the graphic novel La Perdida (Penguin Random House, winner of the 2002 “Best New Series” Harvey Award). She has been teaching at the university level for 25 years and is currently chair of the Illustration Program at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Her work has been reviewed and quoted in The Guardian, Time Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, NPR, The New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, and, even better, in hundreds of personal blogs and Instagram stories by people who’ve utilized her work to take control of their creative lives.