Do you remember how you would doodle away on the last page of your notebook while your teacher taught you a topic you found utterly boring? Or, when you try solving puzzles in the newspapers and fill up the blank spaces on the paper with your squiggly, swirly doodles as you think of an answer? How calming it must feel, isn’t it, making those doodles?

Doodling has this calming as well as mesmerising effect on our mind and that’s why therapists often advice their patients to try and doodle when feeling anxious, sad and gloomy, or even angry. Doodling gives your mind an escape into the world of squiggles and curves, and helps distract your mind. Any pattern that you make continuously with your fingers–be it with a pencil on a book, or with your fingers on the soft sand at the beach, takes your mind away from all that disturbs your peace of mind and helps you focus on the present moment.

It’s a therapy for the troubled mind and soul.

It helps you come up with solutions to your problems, too, as it de-clutters your mind.

Have you observed your little one doodling with his crayon in his drawing book, or even on the wall, lost to the world, totally engrossed in that activity. It helps build concentration in children, which is why, as kindergarten kids, this is the primary activity they are encouraged to indulge in.

And, for those of you, who feel you have not a single creative bone in your body, doodling helps bring that hidden creativity to the surface and express your innermost thoughts.

It is the one activity I have indulged in since childhood and, which, today, helps me keep my anxiety under control. Drawing is more of a therapy for me today, than just an art form–if I don’t engage in this activity, I feel I have missed out on something very important. It’s part of my survival kit today.

Sharing today, some easy-to-make, really basic doodle patterns to begin with. All you will need is a paper and a pen and you are ready to get going!

Do drive away those nasty thoughts that tease you about your lack of creativity. Just make the pattern that comes to your mind, or look around for inspiration–nature, children, toys or patterns like zigzag lines, curvy shapes, concentric circles–there are countless examples.

I am sure in a matter of days you will be hooked on to this activity and making new patterns of your own!

The patterns may appear childish, but, believe me, making these will really amuse you and quieten your mind!

Love,

SHILPA…

P.S.

My winged babies provided the background score for some of the videos!

SHILPA…

It’s been some time now since I have been bitten by the Mandala bug. It was a design that quite intimidated me for the longest time! The intricate patterns, the minute detailing…all of it made me squint in awe at every Mandala I came across. It made me wonder if I would ever be able to make one myself.

So, to get over the fear, I decided to work on it, slowly and steadily. And, today, after making quite a few of these exquisite patterns, I feel so proud of my work. Of course, I still have miles to go before I can call myself an expert mandala artist, because I know the number of errors in my designs.

However, it is more to do with the effect it has on my mind than how it turns out that matters to me most. Drawing a mandala is the most satisfying, comforting, calming art activity I have ever indulged in. I enjoy pencil sketches, too, but the intricate patterns in a mandala have the power to improve your concentration.

The focus is all on the design, on how the pen works. And, when you focus a 100% on the activity, you are bound to forget everything that bothers you otherwise.

BENEFITS OF MAKING THE MANDALA

Making a mandala has quite a few benefits.

For someone who may be striving to concentrate, to overcome the edginess, the anxiety, making a mandala is sure to help you calm down.

It helps you learn to express yourself better. The various shapes and patterns you draw give you the freedom to think. There is no hard and fast rule as to using particular patterns for a mandala. You can use any shapes and symbols–geometric or ornamental– that come to your mind at the moment. This flexibility helps you learn to express yourself freely.

As a result of this freedom of expression, the tensed up mind relaxes, your anxiety and anguish comes under control–a fact I can totally vouch for.

Once your anxiety diminishes, you feel mentally at peace with the world and with yourself. You become oblivious to the disturbing thoughts that crowd your mind.

The mandala I am sharing today, took me more than an hour and a half to make. And, those were the most peaceful moments for me today!

To put it simply, mandala making is like meditating, when your mind is free of any thoughts and at peace.

HOW TO MAKE A MANDALA:

Making a mandala is really not as difficult as it appears. All you need is a paper, pencil, compass, scale and an eraser to draw a circular grid with the help of which you make the mandala patterns.

You can draw the patterns with pencil and then go over them with your ink pen/Zentangle pen/Pilot pen, or even a ball point pen.

METHOD:

On a paper, find the centre point and draw concentric circles of varied sizes.

Then, draw lines to help you space your patterns and guide you as you draw.

Once you have drawn these lines, begin to make the motifs.

There are various motifs, shapes and symbols you can make. They could be as simple as doodles, petals, leaves, flowers, triangles, semi-circles, circles, lines, or paisleys, heart and fish motifs…you just need to set your mind free to choose whichever shape it likes best!

Sharing some of the mandalas I tried.

So, don’t you think this is the most satisfying and relaxing activity? Of course, there are many other, too, like knitting, crocheting, sewing, painting….but, mandala making is what I prefer.

How about you? Would you like to give it a try?

Do share with me if and when you do make one. I would love to see your creation!

Love,

SHILPA…

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