Flow

The Book A Book that takes its time, an unhurried adventure in creative mindfulness

Author(s) Irene Smit & Astrid van der Hulst

Year 2017

What it says on the back cover

Take time to Breathe. 
Take time to Create.
Take time to Reflect.
Take time to Let Go.
Take time.

A mindfulness Retreat between two covers. A Book That Takes Its Time is filled with bound in postcards, mini journals, stickers, decorative papers for collaging and many more surprises to encourage slowing down and appreciating the little things.

Move slowly with intention through the pages and discover that sweet place where life can be both thoughtful and playful.

A Flow Book

Irene Smit and Astrid Van der Hulst are the co founders and creative directors of Flow magazine, the international publication that, with its unique combination of paper goodies and beautiful illustrations, celebrates creativity, imperfection, and life’s little pleasures.

What made me pick up this book

I read Flow, a Dutch magazine that has been sold all around the world that teaches people how to develop their creativity through art, writing, being creative and looking at life in a more mindful way. It is a magazine that prides itself on wonderful stories of everyday people and learning about famous people who have embraced their own creativity in times gone by. It is a magazine that shares with us the world that we live in and how creativity can happen when you create something from one of its pages. It is a book that suggests it is a magazine that takes it’s time.

Is this book worth buying?

Flow is aimed at everyone but one flick through this book one may suggest it is more for the younger set and the female reader. Whilst that may be true in terms of gender, there are interesting points that Flow makes that could make the male audience appreciate, this book however has simple yet enjoyable concepts that may help both male and female readers appreciate. If for instance, you want to raise your interest in mindfulness this book may do this for you. With chapters like Look, A Beautiful Moment or Celebrate the Wait, these chapters may ignite your desire to take a step back and learn to relax a bit, take a load off our minds by becoming a bit more spontaneous every so often and taking an old analog camera with you when you go on your next break away and enjoy waiting for the photos to be developed rather than using a digital camera.

A book like this makes a perfect gift. It’s jammed packed with lots of little paper goodies just like the magazine produces but it’s a little bit more in depth and contains more paper goodies than the magazine.

Unfortunately due to the pandemic Flow magazine wrote in Issue no. 38 that it had been forced to stop printing for its international readers. Being a Dutch magazine meant that it’s English readers like myself were unable to get Flow anymore https://www.flowmagazine.com/flow-international-2021 but they would still be online on its website and maybe in time they may reappear. It was then, I decided to suss out other publications like this book written by its authors.

This book is great for fans of Flow magazine and for those who are interested in mindfulness and creativity but it’s not for those who think that it’s just a book with a colourful front cover and is a bit on the expensive side for some readers.