Flow Lines 04 13 26 | Drawing & Duduk Improvisation
A meditation on presence and creative freedom.
Flow Lines has been a central part of my meditative art practice since my early 20s, when I chose to live as an artist. Even before that, as a child, I naturally experienced a state of creative flow through play. I believe this state is natural to all children. Over time, however, it often fades due to social conditioning, education, and lifestyles that emphasize analysis over presence.
This loss of flow is not inevitable. I see creativity like a muscle, it can become stiff or remain flexible depending on how we use it. Creativity is not limited by age or the physical body. It is part of our deeper human nature, something that goes beyond the material world. Yet today, this is often misunderstood or overlooked.
Creativity is not only essential for artists, it is vital for everyone. No matter the profession, whether accountant, engineer, dentist, or baker, creativity helps us solve problems, grow, and adapt. It shapes the quality of our lives and the future of society. Without it, we risk stagnation and decline.
My work reflects both the finished art and the process behind it. Sharing the process is important to me because it helps others see that creativity is something we can all nurture in our daily lives.
In this video, I combine two practices: flow line drawing and improvised music using the Armenian duduk. I first encountered the duduk at age 21, when I received a recording of the great master Djivan Gasparian. Hearing it moved me deeply, I was brought to tears. The duduk, made from apricot wood and rooted in the region of Mount Ararat, carries a profound and ancient sound. I often describe it as the voice of the soul.
I spent 15 years studying this instrument with a master, learning both the tradition and my cultural heritage. Traditionally, the duduk follows a structured musical lineage, much like classical instruments. However, in this work, I approach it differently, through improvisation.
Improvisation, in this sense, means letting go of control. It means creating without relying on pre-planned ideas or structures. There is no concern for being right or wrong, no focus on perfection. Instead, it is about releasing fear and returning to a state of play in presence.
This state of play is deeply important. It is something we all knew as children, a sense of freedom, curiosity, and joy. Through true improvisation, we reconnect with that state. It becomes a doorway to creativity, innovation, and even solutions to life’s challenges.
When I draw or play music in this way, I am practicing presence. I let go of expectations and allow intuition to guide me. This guidance feels subtle, like a quiet pulse within. To sense it, we need to be relaxed, open, and alert.
For me this involves a daily practice. aligning the body, breath, and mind. It also means observing the inner state throughout the day, like adjusting a thermostat. Life will always bring changes, but we can learn to regulate how we respond. This is where empowerment lies.
The purpose of this inner balance is to access creativity and intuition more fully. These are not just personal tools, they are expressions of a deeper intelligence that can guide us through uncertainty and growth.
We do not need to fully understand this intelligence to experience it. We simply need to practice being present, open-hearted and clear-minded, without judgment or rigid beliefs. From this place, flow naturally arises.
This is the path I have devoted my life to. After more than 30 years of practice, I have come to understand it not only as an artistic method, but as a way of living.
My hope is that more people rediscover the joy and power of creativity. To live in flow is to experience a kind of grace, a feeling of being carried by something beautiful and expansive, like moving within a field of endless possibility.
