100 Days for Mandalas -Process- Week Three
January 28th, 2013
Creating art, and creating mandalas, is really about the process, not the product.
Of course what we create can be beautiful, powerful, intense, abstract or realistic – but whatever it is, the marks we make let the imprint of our inner world shine through.
Our life is a process, a journey. Our marks, with the colors, lines and shapes are a recording of where we are on that journey. By letting our inner world come out in these marks we get to know ourselves in a more intimate way.The mandalas that are shared in this blog post reflect my own journey points and journey points of two friends.
The mandala above is from Deb, a friend from years ago who recently moved nearby. We have reconnected and I am so happy to have someone whose soul sings with creativity now close at hand. Part of her comment about this mandala is “I am creating new structure. New disciplines.” This mandala reflects her process.
Gail from Cleveland, who came to the first workshop “Entering the Sacred through Images & Words” that I taught with dear friend Kelly Larson, sent this mandala. She visited a hospital with her daughter and shared this, “I made this one for her father-in-law Bill who is in a VA hospital struggling with parkinsons and a little dementia to remind him of his kids. The off-kilter circles remind me that we are all ‘a little off’ at times in our lives. I like to think it will bring Bill some joy when he looks at it.” What a wonderful gift to share in this man’s life.
The mandalas painted on an ordinary manila folder – including the first two in this blog – are part of my process of learning about and dealing with my twelve year old dog having a large tumor. It all started with her having a seizure on a walk around the block.
Many vet visits, x-rays, ultrasound, medications, new dog food diet and consultation with a vet surgeon have lead us to the hope that her tumor can be removed and that is most likely is not malignant. My process of feeling scared, sad, hopeful and learning more deeply that life is fragile, has been helped and healed by making these marks.
Mandala Prompt – PROCESS – Enjoy each and every step of the process of your life. It’s really all about the journey.
Mandala Meditation – 100 Days for Mandalas-Week Three -Mandala Meditation
