We hosted a video contest in April 2020 asking people to share their flow stories. Here is a playlist of the Youtube entries - there were several on Instagram and FB as well. ====================================== THE CONTEST :: flowtoys.com/whyiflow Why do you love the flow arts? How did you get into it? How has it impacted your life? Tell the world your flow story. The flow arts means so much to all of us. For many, it is movement meditation, a release and recalibration after a day's work, or a respite from the topsy-turvyness of the world. For some, it opened the door to discovering dance, movement and engaging our bodies. For others, it's taught us how to learn and grow, gave us a new skill to hone and creative boundaries to explore and express ourselves with. The flow arts have also helped so many people turn from dark places or poor habits to healthier lifestyles and supportive communities. Public awareness of the flow arts is growing, but our artform is still a relatively underground activity. While it's starting to appear in pop culture (Did you know contact staff made it into Disney's Aladdin, levi-wand showed up in Pitch Perfect 2 and Dumplin'!), people assume we only do it to perform or entertain. The roots of circus are in entertainment, and while many of us also perform, the flow arts bring so much more into our personal lives. What inspired you to the artform? What keeps you going? We want to hear *your* flow story, and know what it means to you. We'd also love to know who you are. What do you when you are not spinning? When and where do you play and practice? Who do you spin with? Why do you flow? You don't have to answer these questions literally, or to answer all of them. Feel free to get creative about how you tell your story. what we're looking for We are looking to hear your story, not just watch footage of your amazing tech spinning or rapturous flow, though we enjoy seeing those too. Be yourself! You can simply talk into the camera, or share your written word or voiceover on original media. You can show actual spinning or visual representations of flow arts in your video, but we are most interested in what you have to say, and how well it comes across. We will be compiling all videos into a Youtube playlist as a gallery to share with the world. We will accept submissions in any language, including sign language or other forms of expression, as long as your submission can be experienced in English, e.g. translated with English subtitles. Feel free to speak in your native Spanish, French or any other language and have English subtitles :) why we're doing this Flowtoys exists because we love to illuminate the good things in life. We never stop marveling at a person in a state of flow. Through our props, choices and actions, we strive to spread the joy of flow arts, juggling and object manipulation. We think video is an excellent way to do that, and want to encourage people to share their stories with a bigger audience. We planned to launch this contest in the summer, but given our collective state of isolation, with workshops & festivals cancelled, and everyone being required to stay home, we feel that now is the best time to remind ourselves of why we love the flow arts, brush up our media skills, and share our stories. The contest closed on 30 April 2020.