A State of ‘Fast Flow’

Most mornings, I’ll walk/jog/run along my local river. Always keen to spot something in nature. Buds on the trees. Pregnant ducks. A heron. Deers hiding in the bushes. It works. I’ll always arrive home that bit more creative—and productive. Today, was all about the river.

I’ve noticed the river running high before. But today, it was flowing faster than I’ve ever seen. The volume was impressive. And it got me thinking. Creativity is like the water in the river. When the level is high, your juices run high. When the river runs dry, then so too do your ideas. A trickle at best.

But the ‘fast flow’ can cause havoc. Ducks search for a new feeding spot. The river bank gets eroded—tree roots are exposed. Rocks and stones underneath shift downstream. And localised flooding may happen.

And that’s a good metaphor for creativity. It’s messy. It’s not for everyone. But when the rain stops, and the level subsides, everything goes back to normal. But somehow, it’s different.