Journaling Mandalas

I try to create one Mandala every day.  Once in awhile it's lovely and artistic.  Usually it is very simple, and often very quickly made, and sometimes lopsided.  

When I started this practice, my thought was to journal about my Mandalas daily.  I found a square, spiral bound book of drawing paper and made one Mandala.  Then I made many, many more, but separate ones, not made in the journal.  I forgot about the journal.  Not really forgot, just put it off a bit.  Now I want to go back to it.  

Several weeks ago, I made a Mandala from an unusable CD and shared this process with a prompt group which I facilitate at Wild Precious Studios.  I set it down on top of my Mandala journal and discovered that it was the perfect size, so I made it the cover of my journal by cutting a mat board frame for it, glueing that down and inserting the CD.  I wanted the CD to rest inside the mat board so that the glitter would be protected.  

Then I flipped open the book and looked at my first and only Mandala entry, dated January 2011.  That's OK.   I could criticize myself for the length of time between January and June.  Or, I could welcome myself back to the process.  I chose the welcome!

This page reminded me that I began the Mandala journal as a means of documenting my progress making Mandalas as I followed Joan Kellogg's Archetypal Stages of the Great Round of Mandala as outlined in Susanne Fincher's book, The Mandala Workbook: A Creative Guide for Self-Exploration, Balance, and Well-Being.  I had made a pact with myself that I wouldn't defeat myself with too many rules.  If I wanted to make and include other Mandalas here and there, that would be fine.  But somehow, I stayed here.

So today, I began page two by making my stage two Mandala.  Nothing written yet, but I wanted to share it with you now, just as it is, because it represents progress regardless of whether or not the rules have been followed.  And I think that's very important.  Especially since when it comes down to it, we make all the rules for ourselves anyway.  Yes, I mean that.  Since in the end, we decide which to keep and which to throw away, when all is said and done, we are always the ones who make our own rules.

Stage two Mandala, "Floating into the light".  I'll just show you what I've made without attempting to explain or outline Susanne's workbook.  But I will share that I had a great time making this very quick Mandala with colors you might find in a nursery.  Soft, with round, sparkles of glitter which are also Mandalas in their own right, as are the fingerprint blips and blobs of paint.  

More soon!  

Comments

[aimee]

what a great idea to use a CD for a mandala! it's perfect!

[Claire]

the CD mandala is gorgeous!!
though i just love the 'resting in the darkness' one - perfect for january...
and thank you for your lovely comment on my blog yesterday - i look forward to 'seeing' you at quinn's class :)