Flow: The Highest State of Consciousness

Forest

Art and Story by Michael Hooper

For years I’ve been on a quest to achieve the highest state of consciousness. 

The highest state of consciousness is a creative, efficient, and highly productive place. It’s where you are focused and intent upon accomplishing a certain task or goal. You forget about time and feel as if you are on a mission from God. 

Artists, writers, scientists, creative people are always looking for ways to achieve flow. They might call it something else like working at the top of my potential, in the zone, or maximizing my resources or orchestrating a giant event.

Flow is the greatest of you. Flow brings out the best in you.

How do you achieve the highest state of consciousness?

The shortest and fastest way to achieve flow state is by getting started. Do the work. Sit down at your desk, write down two or three steps to achieve your goal and then accomplish them. Ignore all distractions. Silence the noise, stay focused. "I work until I'm there. Gotta show up to the page," says Skyler Troughton, author of books of poetry and a trilogy.

It is in the work that you will get illuminating ideas. I have found that while researching and writing a story, a second idea will come to me or even a third idea. Ideas pour out of me while doing the work.

Another technique for getting into the flow is to use stream of consciousness writing, popularized by 20th Century writers like James Joyce, William Faulkner and Virginia Woolf.

In The Principles of Psychology in 1890, William James wrote, "consciousness, then, does not appear to itself as chopped up in bits ... it is nothing joined; it flows. A 'river' or a 'stream' are the metaphors by which it is most naturally described. In talking of it hereafter, let's call it the stream of thought, consciousness, or subjective life."

A person deeply into stream of consciousness writing might dash off 1,000 words in quick order. They write down the first thing that comes to mind and continue writing every thought. The stream might be filled with a bunch of random thoughts, such as, "I must do laundry, the sky is gray, my trailer is falling apart, I wish I knew a good plumber, my book needs my attention, dammit, I'm going to make a cup of coffee and get started writing, oh shit, I forgot to feed the cats. There is no cat food, oh my fucking God."

Some writers want much more control or agency, and write only deliberately and precisely well-thought-out sentences that have been rehearsed. The stream of consciousness writer let's it flow.

I write compulsively every day, starting with a diary entry. Yet rarely am I writing stream of consciousness, but I do enjoy this exercise and have had success creating poems and prose using this method.

Ernest Hemingway ended each day in the middle of sentence. He used this trick so he would never face a blank page or wonder how to continue.

Sleep on your idea. Your subconscious will continue working on the idea while you sleep. In the morning you may have an epiphany about your project.

Psychedelics may enhance or alter your universe, helping you to see things or ideas that you had never seen before or thought of before. Advocates believe psychedelics enhance the level of your consciousness and connect you with the universe at a different level

Michael Pollan, author of A World Appears, says psychedelics have the ability to re-animate a world gone quiet and still. Psychedelics soften our resistance to various forms of magical thinking. Under the influence of psychedelics, we are more likely to attribute consciousness to other entities, both living and nonliving, including plants.

When you talk to a plant, it hears you, if you show it affection with good growing conditions, the plant responds with thriving growth, trying to please you with its best display.

Caffeine may help a person achieve flow. It's a stimulant, two cups of coffee, and I'm good.

Cannabis may help some people achieve flow. Cannabis slows down some people, who procrastinate while high. I've met those rare exceptions of people who get amped up after consuming cannabis and dive deeper into their project.

You don't have to use drugs to reach your highest and best consciousness. In fact, you might perform better without them.

I believe consciousness is a decentralized system of nerves, muscles, cells, memory, blood flow throughout the body, all contributing to intuition, sentience, thought, self and feeling. This is an idea developed by Pollan in his book.

Self-awareness is a key ingredient for achieving flow, says Dane Broussard, a longtime business leader and CEO. He often comes up with his best ideas while working. Sometimes he generates ideas while running.

I once was riding my bicycle at night on a highway, stars were abundant, not much traffic, I was approaching a tight curve, I was afraid of getting caught at the curve with two cars coming and going. So I pulled into a driveway. And sure enough, two cars from different directions entered the curve at the same time, which would have squeezed me out had I been there. My sight, my body, my brain, the stars told me to pull into that driveway. Saved my life.

Pay attention to your instincts, your inner wildness, which is sensing all around you and in you. Your inner voice will say Yes or No. Listen carefully.

An artist can get into the flow state by simply turning off all sound, music, distractions, picking up a pencil and drawing. As you draw, your left brain gives up trying to control everything and assigns the task to the right brain. It is in this right brain where you achieve intuitive consciousness, spatial awareness, a sense of proportion and color and its complements.

For my painting Forest, I rode my bicycle into the forest, riding on a bumpy trail with my Surly mountain bike. I took pictures looking directly into the forest. I drew a picture and painted furiously to capture the different shades of green. This painting reminds me of my moments sitting quietly on the road in the forest, listening and watching everything from the ants on the ground to the squirrels in the trees, the light trickling in from the canopy above.

I believe I touched flow while painting Forest and writing this article, but I only had that moment for a short time, maybe two or three days and then it was gone. I'm left with a revealing memory.

The Beats in Kansas

William Burroughs As A Young Man, by Michael Hooper

By Michael Hooper

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The biggest names in the Beat movement are William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.

They left a legacy of creative works with followers of the Beat movement throughout America, Europe, Asia and Kansas. Newcomers often experience the Beats for the first time with On The Road by Jack Kerouac, Naked Lunch by William Burroughs and Howl by Allen Ginsberg.

The Beat movement started in the 1940s and took off in the 1950s as a rebellion against conformity; it evolved into the hippie movement and counter culture movement of the 1960s and 70s. The Beat movement's ideas of anti-war, civil rights, eastern spiritualist and pro-legalization of marijuana were picked up by other movements. 

The death of James Grauerholz, 73, of Lawrence, in early 2026 has left the William Burroughs literary estate in transition. Grauerholz was the longtime business manager for Burroughs and his literary executor after his death in 1997. In 2014, I met Grauerholz at the Lawrence Arts Center for the debut of a biography of William Burroughs by Barry Miles. 

Grauerholz and Burroughs photo ©Jon Blumb, 1995

Miles, a longtime friend of Burroughs, credited Grauerholz for much of the research for Call Me Burroughs: A Life. This article contains information from that 635-page book, plus interviews with friends of Burroughs in Lawrence.

William Seward Burroughs II was born in St. Louis, attended Harvard University, studying English and anthropology. He traveled with other Beat writers to Mexico, Morocco, Paris, New York, wrote multiple books and is considered one of the greatest American writers.

In 1951, Burroughs shot and killed his common-law wife, Joan Vollmer, in a tragic, drunken accident, while attempting a "William Tell act" at a party in Mexico City. He spent time in jail in Mexico, but fled the country while awaiting trail. Burroughs later said that the trauma of her death and the resulting guilt were the primary catalysts for his entire literary career.

Burroughs had been living in New York, but got addicted to heroin again in the late 1970s.

It was Grauerholz who convinced Burroughs to move to Lawrence in 1981. He could get methadone in nearby Kansas City on a regular basis. 

Burroughs once said he moved to Lawrence so that he could go shooting and keep cats.

William Burroughs on the banks of the Wakarusa photo ©Jon Blumb, 1994

In 1983 Burroughs bought a bungalow at 1927 Learnard in southeast Lawrence for $28,000. It was on an acre of wooded ground on a quiet street. The house was built in 1929 from a Sears Roebuck kit.

Grauerholz helped Burroughs edit several books and articles over the years. He also introduced Burroughs to his friends.

One of Grauerholz’s friends is Wayne Propst. Miles wrote that Propst took Burroughs out to visit the Propst farm home when Burroughs was thinking of getting a place in Lawrence. Burroughs said, "I’ll bet you five dollars I can hit that stalk over there," pointing at a small dried ragweed stalk about 20 feet away. Propst said, "I'm in." Burroughs drew his pistol, focused, and then fired. The stalk fell in two parts. Burroughs turned to Propst and said pay up with his fingers. Propst was a little surprised that this famous writer would expect him to pay up but said "oh yeah," and handed over the five dollars.

I purchased a painting from Wayne Propst displayed at the Cider Gallery in 2018. We consummated the deal at the Bourgeois Pig. Propst recently celebrated his 80th birthday and still is producing art.

Michael Hooper with Wayne Propst and his art at the Cider Gallery

Burroughs was famous and attracted all kinds of characters. Propst said one time a drunken Indian showed up at the Burroughs house, saying he had heard this is where the party is. Burroughs said no, the party is at a house down the street. What Burroughs didn't tell him was the occupant of that house is a sheriff's deputy.

Grauerholz introduced Bill Rich to Burroughs. Miles wrote, "Rich was a major force in the punk and post punk scene in Lawrence, managing and producing and playing with local bands." He edited and published music magazine Talk Talk in 1979-81, interviewing Iggy Pop, Billy Idol and William Burroughs. Rich became one of Burroughs' assistants, driving him around and cooking meals, Miles wrote. Rich is still alive living in Lawrence.

Chris Stein, William Burroughs, Bill Rich by James Grauerholz

"I know this picture," wrote Bill Rich. "I believe it was Chris Stein's camera held by James Grauerholz. Blondie had played at Starlight (in KC) the night before. Debbie Harry was inside the house with Ira Silverberg as they both disliked guns." I asked Chris Stein by Instagram if I could publish his photo, he replied, "Of course, no problem." Chris Stein is a founding member and guitar player with Blondie.

Lawrence-based photographer Jon Blumb, 69, met Burroughs around 1986 when Burroughs needed photographs of his art. Blumb took numerous photos of his art and of Burroughs himself. Blumb created a significant photo archive of Burroughs from 1986 to 1997, and created a portfolio titled William S. Burroughs in Prints. Burroughs died at age 83 in 1997.

Blumb said Burroughs would shoot a wooden board and then paint it. Or he might paint it first and then shoot it. He shot spray cans that would blow up, with paint exploding onto an object.

Burroughs was highly productive and his art gained in popularity.

"It was well received," Blumb said in an interview with me. "The people of Lawrence were nice to him. He was well regarded. It was a great idea that James moved him here."

Grauerholz established the Nova Foundation to preserve and share his and Burroughs' legacy. The board of directors of the Nova Foundation is currently making an inventory of the Burroughs and Grauerholz estates, including manuscripts, letters, books, art and photographs. Blumb is taking photographs of Burroughs' art for the inventory. Once up and running, the archive will be available to scholars seeking to do research. The author also was a prodigious photographer so there are numerous photos of different periods of his life.

Blumb said he could see this archive as a great resource for graduate students of literature, art, history and American studies.

Blumb said there is a new movie out about the Beats called Nova '78, about the Nova Convention in NYC, which included Burroughs along with Patti Smith, Frank Zappa and Allen Ginsberg. They collided in an explosion of ideas, art and rebellion, said imbd.com. The film can be viewed at https://watch.plex.tv/movie/nova-78

One of Grauerholz's last projects, maybe his Mona Lisa, was an anthology of his work as a musician titled James Grauerholz: Life's Too Good To Keep. His talent as a musician took backstage to his commitment to the art and artists around him. As Burroughs' Business Manager Grauerholz toured the world celebrating writers, musicians, and artists. This record is a collection of Grauerholz's musical expression over three decades. 

https://jamesgrauerholz.bandcamp.com/album/lifes-too-good-to-keep

I met Ginsberg in the early 1990s at a bookstore in Lincoln, Neb. He took an interest in my regional reporting work, seemed genuinely sincere and kind, drew a flower and signed my book that he had authored. I wonder what he would say today, now that 40 states have legal medical marijuana and 24 states have legal recreational marijuana. We have much to thank for the efforts of Ginsberg and others who pushed for legalization decades before it happened.

Another person in Lawrence who became friends with Burroughs is Jim McCrary. In an email to me, he said, he has a letter from Ginsberg to him in Lawrence in the late 60's "where we talked about starting a legalize marijuana group."

"I worked with James and WSB for a decade and saw Willliam on almost a daily basis," McCrary wrote. "Traveled with him to NYC to visit his friend Paul Bowles in the 90's and to LA for the opening of his show at LA Museum of Art (met David Hockney and some kid named Leo who came with my buddy S. Clay Wilson.  Leo's father was a distributor of Zap Comics in SF....Leo was actually Leo DiCaprio but we had no idea. Nor did William."

Paul Bowles, Burroughs, McCrary

McCrary said Kansas City and Wichita were more Beat than Lawrence in the early days.

"Wichita in late 50's and 60's was home to counter culture far more advanced, if you can call it that," McCrary wrote in an email to me.  "Was a lot going on.......jazz clubs,  beat bars, a place called The Beanery and a place called The Black Out were notable. Writers like Charlie Plymell,  Mike McClure, Allen Ginsberg came through. There was a big hot rod scene as well...pre beat influence.  KC of course had the jazz scene wrapped up in prewar US for sure and leftovers of that scene were alive and well in 60's.  Ginsberg's poem Entering KC High ends with him going into a queer nightclub bar on Main Street of KC. Was quite a publication to come out of Lawrence promoting a drug fueled trip by a queer poet to Kansas."

McCrary said he came to Lawrence in 1965, said he "Met up with crowd around Abington Bookstore which included John Fowler, George Kimball, Rob Rusk, Lee Chapman (her brother was in band The Blue Things at the time) and S Clay Wilson who came down from Lincoln, Neb.  High times indeed."

McCrary said, "There had been a 'beat' coffee shop in Lawrence for a while and there was a basement venue called The Firey Furnance where poets like Bob Creeley read by candlelight.  Allen Ginsberg did come and do his thing at the Union chanting East Indian mantras. Nobody I knew called themselves beat.  This was before summer of love so no hippies either. People were "freaks", "heads" as in pot heads or "stoned."

"Eventually Lawrence became hippy center for parts of Midwest," McCrary wrote.  "All that went on. Not the laid back literary beat stuff...but maybe some influence.   I don't think the shared living commune stuff was influenced by the Beats so much.  Sure, use of drugs and hippies took that further than beats due to fact that drugs were more and better. The Beats were a lot more egocentric and nothing wrong with that......    Here in Lawrence the hippy thing took a turn towards outlaw lifestyle in a sense for a while and then a lot of that turned into alternate lifestyle business like leather shops, head shops, candle shops, veggie food shops, jewelry shops, Army surplus shops, stained glass shops and cafes and restaurants all of which in early 70's started a change in Lawrence from a ag based downtown to something else."

One thing locals miss is the energy associated with Grauerholz and Burroughs, the two created and attracted all kinds of interesting people. 

In July 1996, the show, Points of Entry: William S. Burroughs and the Arts, a solo Burroughs show, with 150 of his artworks was displayed at the Los Angeles Museum. The show came to the University of Kansas Spencer Museum of Arts Oct. 26. That show was combined with the Nova Convention Revisited: William S. Burroughs and the Arts.

Deborah Harry, Chris Stein, Michael Stipe, Patti Smith, John Giorno and Philip Glass -- all came to Lawrence for this big event. My friend Jonathan Hummer said he met several of these stars when he working at the Eldridge Hotel at the time of the show.

Robert Ruden, a longtime drug addict/Menninger patient who lived in Topeka until he died in 2015, said he went to Lawrence for the Nova Convention; Ruden was at the Eldridge Hotel, when Michael Stipe "was carrying on about the artistic process. I told him to shut the fuck up. I'm trying to have a conversation with my Uncle Stanley (Grinstein)."

Some critics say the Beats were misogynistic, women cleaned up after the men, who were always out partying and running around. The modern American man who is fully conscious is supportive of women's rights. So in a way the Beats are outdated. Yet, I have to believe the Beats' adventurous spirit as a rebellion against conformity is still alive today. 

The people protesting President Donald Trump's war in Iran and his ICE agents locking up and deporting immigrants is very much a part of the rebellion against conformity, against hate.

The Beats of Kansas are alive but getting older yet still attracting young people, when they get themselves a copy of On The Road, Naked Lunch or Howl. Naked Lunch is a wicked yet funny read. Howl is still relevant today, Ginsberg's line -- "Moloch whose mind is pure machinery! Moloch whose blood is running money!" -- reminds me of the algorithms of Wall Street. Moloch is the modern money machine.

The Beats. The founders left behind a huge archive of hilarity, absurdity, profundity, hedonism, artistic expression, wanderlust and tragedy.