I love mandalas! Their soothing, repetitive marks, the color harmony...I find when life gets too crazy or my body becomes overstimulated, sitting and coloring a mandala or drawing my own calms me.
One of my favorite books to color in is Susanne Fincher's Coloring Mandalas 3: Circles of the Sacred Feminine. I bought this ages ago and have been slowly working through the beautiful circles. I'm particularly drawn to those of the Indian goddesses and their various manifestations as expressed through shape and pattern. I find that I want to embellish them more, add circles or shapes or dots, diving deeper and deeper into their messages of victory, patience, or creative persuits.
But there is great power in creating your own mandalas. By meditating on a goal or spiritual accomplishment, you can draw out the shape of your own peace. While doing this freehand is fun and breathless, I find comfort in the drawing of circles with my compas and measuring out degrees on a protractor. The precise lines give me a jumping-off point, and drawing them in pencil gives me permission to break the rules.
I just want to note that mandalas don't need to be a series of repeated circles. You can draw a picture inside, or wandering lines, or a labyrinth you walk with your fingers. Whatever you can fit inside a circle is acceptable.
when drawing your own, or even coloring those already created, find a quiet space in your mind to focus in what you desire. Try to keep this in mind as you work, and watch the mandala work its magic in your life!
The Magic of Mandalas Blog Hop is a radically inspiring sharing circle, with artists from around the globe sharing the stories behind their process of creating mandalas. Our mission: To inspire you to see new possibilities for your own creative practice.