It is not an attempt to share one's virtues and accomplishments with the audience, but an act of selfless spirit. Make these words of David Mamet your motto for this session: Art is an expression of joy and awe. Make this mandala yours, without any attachment to the outer world, and see how much joy you can take from this simple activity. A pretty mandala won't change the world for the better, neither will an 'ugly' one make your life worse. No matter how you do it, no matter how it looks, it's good, because you have created it. There should be no shame in drawing a mandala. Don't restrain yourself from drawing something experimental, just because there's a risk it will not look good in the end. This is your mandala-nobody should care what it looks like, and nor should you care about them. Ignore them or make them a part of the rhythm, so they stop being a mistake and become a part of the pattern you could never imagine before. There's no good or bad-just the rhythm, lines, and contrast.ĭon't scold yourself for mistakes it's natural that they happen.

Let the rhythm take you around each circle, and let the mandala become your whole world for now. Don't make it about yourself, and don't treat it as a test of your drawing skill or self-worth. Sit comfortably, in quiet or with some pleasant music, and focus on this one activity.ĭon't think about how it's going to look when you finish, or how people will react when they see it. Sure, you can treat it as a normal drawing, with a certain goal in mind, but you can gain more than just the satisfaction of a pretty artwork if you do it properly. There's one more thing you need to draw a mandala: a proper mindset. With a marker pen, you have a sense of stability, and the lines seem more real. A pencil has some uncertainty in it you never know when the line is done. You can draw a mandala with a pencil only, if you want, but dark markers make the pattern cleaner and more definite. fineliner/thin marker/pigment ink pen (any color you like).sheet of paper (even copy paper will do).You can get these tools even in supermarkets! You can follow my steps directly, use the same techniques for your own mandala, or simply read the whole thing just to learn about drawing mandalas.Īs with most personal art therapy activities, you don't need any professional art supplies.

Inkscape mandala