This is what a flow state looks like

My friend Jeff and I were talking yesterday about flow states, what they feel like, why they are important.

As a musician I live for the flow state that we call “groove.” But it’s really heard to describe what that feels like. Saying that it’s a shared emotional space into which you let go and trust in the collective outcome doesn’t quite capture it.

I think this video, which was posted up at MetaFilter, captures flow states exactly. Here are a bunch a young guys making incredible basketball shots which they could only make if they simply relaxed and let go into them. I’m willing to bet that as this shoot went on they actually made more and more of these attempts on the first or second try. What a thing to watch, especially the one where the guy bats the ball into the basket with his skateboard.