Process art is art that is made with an intention to focus on the creative process rather than the finished product. With process art, the joy is in the journey rather than the destination.
Creating a mandala is one of my favourite ways to surrender to the notion of process art.
The Benefit of Process Art vs Product Art
I like to think of all the art I make as process art - ie I paint because I love to make art, not because I want another painting. But every so often it is easy to get caught up in the product and lose the joy in the process.
My favourite way to come back from this is to create a mandala. In fact, I make a point of creating a series of mandalas at the end of every year. You can see one of my previous series here.
Creativity is a natural instinct within us, part of being human and every person expresses their creativity in different ways, whether they realise it or not. Art is not the only way to be creative, it is just one of the most obvious.
Unfortunately, many of those who choose to make art become discouraged and judge their efforts too soon, and too harshly. This can make them cease art making - such a pity! There is so much to be gained from engaging the creative process, such as relaxation, self expression, fine motor skills, mindfulness and fun! This list could go on and on.
Taking the focus off the product and making the process of art the whole point helps ensure that we don’t miss out on the many benefits of expressing our creativity.
How to Create a Mandala
Mandalas are an art form that has been around for at least 2000 years. They can be made with sand, with flowers and berries or any other natural material you might come across.
For some the process of creating them is not complete until they destroy them. The circle of life as it were. Learning to enjoy the process in the moment and then being okay with letting it go.
I prefer to create mandalas with art materials. Even narrowing it down to this leaves plenty of scope. You can create a mandala with nothing more than the old ballpoint you find at the bottom of your handbag and the envelope the gas bill came in, if you so choose. You could use pencils and markers, pastels or paints. You can make them organic and loose or mathematically precise. Over the years I have tried all sorts of approaches. My personal favourite is to use watercolour pencils and a little waterproof pen, and to find a mandala that is reasonably balanced but still shows the human hand as opposed to the perfect precision that you can get with a digital medium.
Creating mandalas is a very special process in so many ways. Just in case you are not yet convinced here are 5 reasons to create a mandala today.
5 Reasons to Create a Mandala
Create mandalas as a mindfulness practice
Mandalas have been a tool in the art therapist arsenal for many years. In fact it is one of the most ancient art forms, transcending disciplines and cultures.
Seen as a mindfulness practice rather than an art project, it doesn't matter what you end up with - all that matters is that you enjoy surrendering to the soothing repetitive mark making. This is a mindfulness practice. A way to keep your hands occupied and let your mind settle on the task at hand allowing any of the things we have been worrying about subside for a while.
Practice art skills without judgment
The best way of improving your art skills is to practice. Keep making art and your skills improve.
One of the things that stops us from creating art is being too harsh a judge of our final product.
If one can approach mandala from a process perspective rather than a product perspective, then judging the output becomes irrelevant. From this place you are in a position to get on with building skill - and you wont even notice that because you are just having fun.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that because you are not drawing a particular subject that you are not building skills. Most foundational art and drawing courses begin with seemingly pointless exercises such as practicing swatches of hatching and cross hatching, drawing pages and pages of circles or straight lines. These exercises are about line control, and muscle memory. Believe me - drawing mandalas is way more fun, but achieves the same sorts of benefits.
You are practicing spacing, design, value and composition skills. All of these in the snug confines of the mandala. You may not be practicing representational drawing but all these other skills are important and useful in every piece of art that you create.
Create mandalas to experience the freedom of restrictions
A mandala really only has one rule - it is circular. Even this one restriction is actually liberating. Sometimes we find ourselves procrastinating instead of art making and it is often because we don’t know what to draw. Starting with some parameters - even only one is surprisingly helpful.
Introducing constraints is a marvellous way to not only facilitate but stimulate your creativity.
Repetition - the joy of a do-over
My process of creating a mandala involves a lot of repetition. Aside from the therapeutic benefits of repetitive mark making, not to mention the skill-building aspects of repetition, I relish the opportunity of so many do overs. For me this is an important symbol and personal meaning that I have discovered in my mandala making practice. I wrote about it in great detail in this post, but here’s the gist.
I begin in pencil, going around the circle filling in my patterns and designs. Then I go over that with a pen. This is a chance to refine some of my pencil marks - the first do over. Then I go back with colour building up the shapes I created and making the most of them that I can.
For me, this is such an important process to see at work. Isn’t just the way we do nearly everything? Everything new at least… beginning tentatively, repeating it and finding that we are a little better, continually improving. There is something very reassuring about that simple process for me.
I bet you will find your own personal meanings hidden in your mandalas before too long.
Create mandalas to Practice listening to your own instincts
There are so many ways to fill a circle. There is no right or wrong. Just a chance to listen to what your heart feels like doing. Sometimes that might be a precise geometrical approach. Other times it could be beginning from the centre and growing the mandala with concentric doodle patterns. Maybe you just want to draw something in the circular container. It’s all good. It is refreshing to allow yourself this opportunity to practice trusting your inner voice.
See More Mandala Art in these Related Articles
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What is your favourite shape?
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The Tiresomeness of Goal Setting
At the time of writing this we are about to see in the new year. I love the reflectiveness that seems to arise so naturally at this time. I’m less keen on the exuberant advice on goal setting that abounds.
You know what I mean… Big Hairy Audacious Goals, (that are SMART - obvs) and shooting for the moon.
Exhausting.
What have you achieved so far?
If you are feeling in need of a little calming, reflective time then drawing mandalas is just the thing. One of my new rituals is to spend a month with mandalas at the close of every year. There is so much about the mandala that feels apt at this time of the year.
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