Mandalas- A creative journey for our soul
As you know (if you don’t, then check out my gallery
page!), I use spirals in my art. I love the feeling I get painting in a spiral.
It takes me back to my school days when my notebooks were filled with more doodles
than notes!
I guess you can say I was happier taking notes on
what was going on in my head and soul then what the teacher was saying! Today I understand this strong connection
between what is going through my head and what I am feeling to what I paint or
even doodle that day.
This past week I was doing a lot of meditative art; small
drawings with pencil, pen and ink. I had a lot on my mind and I find this very
comforting, calming and even soul searching.
One form of art that deals with this emotional
connection are Mandalas.
Mandalas are used in many religions and cultures. It
is a spiritual, creative meditation that connects our inner and outer self. The
psychoanalyst Carl Jung saw the Mandala as " a psychological expression of
the totality of the self" Jung maintained that the mandala describes our
soul, our center point, symbolizing the self. Children draw mandalas instinctively;
they are in nature in a variety of forms. The essence of the mandala is a
circle, spiral- like, in nature. Spirals
are everywhere from galaxies, trees, shells, flowers or even how a drop of
water hits
water it makes a spiral.
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The circle symbolizes perfection, endless space
surrounding us and our thoughts. It describes our physical and spiritual
circle.
In different religions, it is used as a way to
connect and meditate on our connection with ourselves and G-d; a type of prayer
through art.
A mandala is an intuitive form of drawing/painting. The
center parallel to our own center. We connect through line, form and color with
ourselves and create a feeling of balance and calm.
This is a mandala I drew this week. Only after I
finished it did I realize I had been thinking of my son that was in the army
for the week.
The green I subconsciously picked is the same as his
uniform, but also the green of nature. He is growing up and away from me, my
center. He is part of something bigger. His spiral
intertwined with this
country he will be defending.
Deen, no matter what you write, it always hits me in my heart/soul. what you drew and wrote about Effi brought tears to my eyes....yes, he is growing up and going out into the big world...but, never will he separate from you, your love,your warmth, you will always be his very special mommy who loves uncontionally and forever...love you mom
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your blogs each week and am very sad when they do not appear. You are teaching so much about so many things. Your own mandala is so meaningful and beautiful.I pray that your son is safe.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. Getting comments like yours, encourage me to keep writing every week, and not give up! Thank YOU!
DeleteI was always fascinated by drops of water, but I never knew why. I loved to watch the rain as it hit the pond by my house, even though my mother would yell at me for staying out in the rain. Now I understand why. I am newly religious and am finding out so much about my inner self that finally makes sense. Thank you for adding another piece to the puzzle. P.S. I love your artwork.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing...I wish you luck on your new journey. I am glad you are finding inner peace and am glad to have played some small part in that. No matter when in life, or how, Its amazing when the pieces of our puzzle start coming together. Good Luck!
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