Mandalas Make Me Happy

I was looking through an old portfolio and found a series of pen and ink mandalas that I drew back in 2010.  (Truthfully, I was cleaning under the bed in the guest room).  I hadn't looked at the drawings in quite a while and I wondered what my inspiration was to draw so many mandalas.  They were mostly 20 x 16 or 14 x 17 sizes and very intricate.  I must have spent hours on each drawing and I had an entire portfolio of them! At first there wasn't a clear memory or intention that I recalled to start a series of mandalas or try new pens and techniques either.  Here is a example of one larger mandala.

As I looked at the details in the lines,  the memories all came flooding back.  2010 was a very challenging year, I had experienced some significant loss and had a huge career change.  No wonder I had blocked it out and the drawings were under the bed.  I tend to retreat to my art when I have problems that need to be thought through.  The drawing helps me to go within and to listen to my inner wisdom I guess.

I remembered sitting for hours on end drawing, with my attention completely on the lines and how they connected.  I had control over the lines and with those lines as my focus I had a task for my "thinking brain" and the solutions I desired could surface on their own unimpeded.  The time drawing was my meditation during those tough months.  It worked and I successfully maneuvered into happier times.

I feel so lucky to have a creative outlook for both the happy and difficult times.  These forgotten drawings are now out in the light and remind me that I'm strong and can handle challenges.  To you it may look like a bunch of lines, to me I see the details of my story.

Do you have a story?

Keep creating.....