Hello there!
I don’t know about you, but I found this week pretty darned stressful. And like many of my friends, I’ve had to add more opportunities to focus and meditate to stay sharp in this disruptive time.
Coloring Meditation
One of the strategies I use for meditation is to draw, doodle, color, or scribble. For this meditation, I focus on the space where the tip of my drawing tool hits the paper. I focus on the stroke, on the beauty of the color, and the nature of the line. Pre-made mandalas are great for this style of meditation because it provides a beautiful structure. I trust that when I’m done, no matter how many times I might wander outside of the lines, I’m sure the final product will look wonderful on my refrigerator.
Use a Printable Mandala
While you can only use a coloring book design once, with a printable you can use your favorite pattern over and over again. This allows for experimentation with different types of paper and different drawing and painting mediums. I can also experiment with color combinations. I was inspired by the color of spring, so this mandala draws from the pink and green color story of the garden. For this coloring meditation, I choose to work on one of the motifs from page 2. When I was laying out the book, this square motif reminded me of tiles. So I turned them and positioned them tile-like on the page.
$5 coloring book printable of “Colored Theory with Pencils & Mandalas”
Dual-Tipped Student-Grade Markers
Another strategy I employ is using a maker. This is much less about the art and much more about the experience of coloring. Although I can’t add a ton of fitness with markers, it does allow me to create a full motif in under an hour. While I could spend hours on one pencil drawing, with colored markers I can finish an entire motif in a fraction of the time. And I always keep in mind the notion that IF the finished design looks good, I can print another one and do it over in another medium like colored pencils – or even watercolor pencils.
Here’s a link to the affordable dual-tipped art markers by Aenartmarkers I used in the video above.
If you are feeling a little stressed out, grab a drawing implement and some paper, and focus on letting go of the feelings to focus the mind.
Best of luck to you in staying safe and healthy!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
March 26, 2020
