17-29: My Journey Mandala

My Journey Mandala

Inspired by a conversation I experienced yesterday, I decided to do the MotW a little different this week. Choosing colors seems to be high on the list of reasons why people avoid coloring, painting, etc. They (and I sometimes) tend to over think it. Thoughts such as “What if it looks bad?”, “What if I ruin it?”, “I’m not good at picking colors” plague our creative process.

So, this week I encourage you to follow along with me in this Doodle Mandala Process – Part 1, using “My Journey” as our point of focus for this particular DM. I created this process as a way to connect with our subconscious, our Higher Self, our Creative Spirit, whatever you feel comfortable calling it. All in an effort to receive insights from our Inner Guidance System. I’ll share Part 2 later this week.

Here’s Part 1:

1. get a piece of paper
2. draw a circle on it (I used a plate to draw my circle)
3. sit for a moment, taking a few deep conscious breaths, and focus on the idea of “My Journey“
4. when you’re ready and without stopping, doodle one continuous line within the circle. It’s okay if the line goes outside the circle (mine did). To kick it up a notch, close your eyes as you do the doodle; it helps get your head out of the way. If you can, end the line where you began it (or end it wherever it wants to end…it could even go off the page)
5. for about 10-15 minutes, intuitively start coloring your mandala
   1. put what you’re coloring with (crayons, color pencils, markers, etc) near you but out of your sight range. (I put my markers in a plastic bin where I could easily “fish” around in it without knocking them out all over the floor.)
   2. while looking at the mandala, take a conscious breath, and notice which of the sections captures your attention.
   3. while focused on that section, reach back to grab a color
   4. let go of any reaction (positive or negative) regarding the color choice…breathe in the reaction, then let it go on the exhale. The color is what it is. Trust in your intuitive color choice.
   5. color in that section
   6. repeat steps b-e as time allows
6. as you color, notice any extraneous thoughts or ideas that pop into your head. it may even turn into a conversation with yourself. write down any key insights that come through.
7. notice what “My Journey” is about: it could represent your past lives, different aspects of your psyche, different times throughout your current life. For me it feels like all the different stories of my current life.
8. for the remainder of the week, spend 15-20 minutes a day (if you can) repeating steps 5-7 until all sections are filled in.
9. if you feel inspired to do so, feel free to color in the non-doodled areas of your paper.

I’ll be posting my process via my Mandala of the Day blog, starting with today’s post.

About the Mandalas of the Week

Each week I choose one of my existing mandala paintings that wants to be upgraded OR create a new one and post it here. Throughout the week, I paint/draw/color/collage/etc it and post my progress on the Mandala of the Day. I post the upgraded version later in the week.

Happy Coloring!

joyfully,

Maureen
The Mandala Lady

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