Have you ever gotten so lost in building your guitars that suddenly, as if waking from a dream, you realize that HOURS had flown by?
To you, it felt like only a few moments as you watched your hands crafting, shaping, and creating—Almost as a spectator.
If so, then you’ve been in the Flow State.
Being in the Flow State is “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.” (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of the book “Flow“)
It’s a place where we tap into something beyond ourselves that helps us reach higher levels of craftsmanship, artistry, and fulfillment.
That’s why I believe that
Creating from the Flow State is the key to unlocking your highest potential and building your best guitars.
But unfortunately, for most people, those rare moments of Flow are too few and too far between.
But what if you could stay in the Flow State all the time (or at least much more of the time)?
The good news is that you can!
In this post, I’ll show you a powerful tool you can use to stay in the Flow, conquer fear and stress, and begin creating the highest quality and most deeply satisfying creative work possible.
It’s called the “Hemingway Bridge” or “Hemingway Method.”
But before we get started, there are a few side effects that you should be aware of in case you decide to give this a try.
When using the Hemingway Bridge and staying in the Flow, some side effects may include, but are not limited to:
- Higher quality of work
- Increased productivity
- Discovery of new ideas and solutions
- A sense of momentum and forward progress
- Excitement to get up in the morning and get to work
- Lack of anxiety and uncertainty about what to do next
- A deep sense of happiness and meaning in your life and work
- Feeling excited and optimistic to start the new week on Sunday night as the sun goes down.
If you’re a brave soul who’s willing to take these risks for the love of lutherie, then read on…
The Hemingway Bridge
The “Hemingway Bridge” is a technique used by author Ernest Hemingway in which he would stop his writing for the day only AFTER he knew what was coming next.
Here’s how Hemingway describes it in his own words:
“When I am working on a book or a story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write. You read what you have written and, as you always stop when you know what is going to happen next, you go on from there. You write until you come to a place where you still have your juice and know what will happen next and you stop and try to live through until the next day when you hit it again. You have started at six in the morning, say, and may go on until noon or be through before that. When you stop you are as empty, and at the same time never empty but filling, as when you have made love to someone you love. Nothing can hurt you, nothing can happen, nothing means anything until the next day when you do it again. It is the wait until the next day that is hard to get through.” – Ernest Hemingway
It sounds simple, but here’s how it can work for us:
When building guitars, we may work hard to get into the Flow, only to be forced to stop because of time constraints or when we reach the end of a specific task. Those endpoints will abruptly shut down the Flow and creative momentum, leaving us with a “blank page,” so to speak, that we’ll have to face in the morning.
But when we use the Hemingway Bridge, we take a different approach. As we work, we practice being mindful of the creative energy and momentum that builds within as the next steps and ideas begin to emerge.
We intentionally stop at that high-energy point and start our next guitar-building session (or whatever creative work we do), “In The Flow.”
In addition, opening this extra creative space often leads to new solutions and ideas. They seem to incubate and sprout in the ordinary moments in between, like sitting at a stoplight, doing the dishes, or taking a walk.
So, not only does this approach help you stay in your creative Flow and reduce resistance, but it also opens up more space for new insights and ideas.
How To Implement The Hemingway Technique
1 - Look For A Place To Stop
When I am nearing the end of a work period, I begin looking for the point when the creative energy is high and the next ideas become clear. When the moment comes, I stop work rather than pressing through to beat the clock, drain my creative and physical energy to zero, and kill the momentum.
2 - Write It Down
At that point, I write out my ideas and vision for the next steps in my daily journal/time management system. (I use Obsidian for this, which I love, but Notion or a simple notebook can work great, too). If I’m stuck or facing a problem, I write out the problem and the questions I need help with.
3 - Shut Down For The Day
Then I shut down for the day. I let it all go and trust that whatever issue is still pending, a solution will come, and I’ll be ready when I start work the next day. This step is essential because we have to switch off our conscious minds so our Default Mode Network can take over and start working out the details. (If you’re interested, I can explain more about the DMT and how to use it in future post.)
4 - Morning Review
I do my best not to think about this until I wake up the next day, excited to start and build the things I had in mind the day before. I make a coffee, read my notes from the previous day, and let my mind wander a bit, jotting down any random ideas, thoughts, or solutions.
5 - Jump Back Into The Flow
Then, I start my morning routine. I begin by vacuuming the shop and doing my Mis-En-Place to get everything organized and at my fingertips. I usually fall right into the Flow State, enjoy my work, and stretch myself to reach for higher levels of expression and artistry.
And that’s it.
This one simple tool makes it easy to keep the flywheel of creative momentum spinning and to help you start every day in the Flow.
