Many artists naturally enter a state of flow while creating, where their awareness merges with the process, and time seems to disappear. This state isn’t only something that happens randomly. It can be cultivated intentionally. Whether you make art to share with others, or just for yourself, you can create from a place of deep connection and allow your art to become an expression of energy itself.
Here are some ways to explore making art from a state of energy flow . . .
Understanding Energy in Art
A key energy principle that we talk about a lot at Change Your Energy states:
Where the mind goes, energy flows. This means that whatever you focus on while creating—whether it’s a feeling, an intention or an idea, or simply your breath—affects the energy of the art you make. Creating from this state allows your art to carry a distinct presence, expressing something deeper than what’s on the surface.
Before you begin, it helps to transition from whatever you were doing before into a state of presence. Art flows best when your body and mind are open and relaxed.
Here are some ways to prepare:
- • Breathe consciously. Take slow, intentional breaths, feeling your awareness settle inside.
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• Get into your body. Try body tapping, stretching, yoga, tai chi, or another form of energy training to get out of your head, awaken your awareness, and ground you in your body.
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• Set an intention. Consider what kind of energy you’d like to bring into your creative time. It could be openness, joy, release, curiosity, or anything else that calls you.
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• Create a supportive space. Whether it’s by clearing clutter, lighting a candle, or playing music that matches the energy you want to cultivate, even small shifts can support your mind and body to get into the flow.
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• Pay attention to life’s moments of inspiration. Throughout your day, notice what moves you, what makes you feel alive, and what connects you to the sacred. It could be anything: the way sunlight dances off the morning dew, the warmth of someone's hand, the way your cat blinks slowly. Just paying attention attunes you to beauty, which can later infuse your creative process.
Techniques to Explore Making Energy Art
There’s no right or wrong way to approach this—your creative process is yours alone. Follow your own impulses and intuition. These are simply ideas to explore if they resonate with you:
- • Listen to music that evokes a certain energy. Music is a powerful carrier of energy and can deeply influence how your body moves and how you express through your marks. Do you want something soothing? Or maybe something rhythmic, expansive, or intense? Choose anything that feels right for you.
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• Focus on the process, not the outcome. Trying to make a “good” piece of art often takes us out of the moment and into thinking, effort, and the inner critic. Staying present in the moment is what allows energy to move freely.
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• Work in layers. Mixed-media techniques—such as painting, collaging, tearing, or adding textures—allow you to build up a piece over time, infusing each layer with its own energy.
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• Include text in your artwork. Words carry potent energy. You might write affirmations, a phrase that holds meaning for you, or even fragments of poetry within your piece.
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• Express what you feel inside. Pay attention to what’s moving within you. Let your emotions or sensations translate into movement through your hands, through your whole body if needed. Your marks, strokes, or color choices can be a direct expression of the energy inside, deepening your connection to yourself.
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• Return to presence again and again. Just like meditation, your mind will naturally wander. Each time it does, gently bring your awareness back—to your breath, your body, the sensations of the materials, or the feeling in your hands as they move.
There’s no single way to create energy art. What matters is tuning into yourself and allowing something to move through you, as opposed to feeling like you are the one “controlling” the creation. This is how you open the door to a more meaningful and connected artistic experience—one that nourishes both you and the world around you.