Mindful Art
Most of us have had an experience at some point in our lives of being so immersed in art making that we lost track of time. This happens because creative activities ease us into a process of focus, concentration, absorption and flow, which is the same process we experience when we’re meditating.
This is why drawing, painting, colouring, photography and writing are naturally mindful. If you've no meditation experience, or find it hard to calm your mind or sit still and meditate, then creative activities are a wonderful way to enhance your capacity for focus, concentration, inner peace and calm through this natural mindfulness.
The Art of Mindfulness
In traditional mindfulness meditation we develop awareness of the breath, the body, thoughts and emotions, making them our focus. We become aware of what our experience is right in the very moment we’re experiencing it.
When we combine this steady, kindly, embodied awareness with naturally mindful creating then we are practicing creative mindfulness.
Creative Mindfulness
Adding moment by moment mindfulness to our creativity helps us to just enjoy the process rather than focusing on end results, which means we draw, colour, write or paint more freely and more joyfully.
When we practice mindfulness whilst we’re actually in the process of creating we are also able to befriend and gradually change the habits of negative self-talk, inner criticism, perfectionism and self-doubt that often cause us to feel creatively blocked.
By bringing first a curious, lively awareness, and then a kindly, gentle attitude to what we’re making, we can change how we relate to ourselves, our creativity, and the world around us forever.
Creative Mindfulness is for Everyone
Creative mindfulness is for everyone - absolute beginners who've never meditated or who've not created a thing since school, as well as experienced meditators and professional artists. Why not listen to this short podcast to find out more?
Wendy Ann Greenhalgh - blogging about creative mindfulness, mindful art, writing & photography
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Join the Art of Mindfulness community and share your creative mindfulness moment
We all need community. It's so much easier to meditate with others to support us. And making art with friends is a great way to stay inspired. So wherever you are, I'm inviting you to join the Art of Mindfulness community.
Perhaps you're putting your feet up with one of my books? Or you're doing one of the Art of Mindfulness eCourses. Or maybe you've just meditated with an Art of Mindfulness MP3 and want to share your experience. And there are the 30 creative mindfulness activities in the Stop Look Breathe Create book? Wouldn't you like to share the projects?
Whatever your inspiration, whatever your experience - you can share the journey in the following ways
Post your mindful art, drawing, photography and writing on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #stoplookbreathecreate - you'll find lots more of us doing it too.
Join the Facebook Group - it's the place for you to share projects from the Stop Look Breathe Create book and your 3 CHALLENGE creating.
Follow my Art of Mindfulness Author Page on Facebook. There's a great discussion about mindfulness, creativity and art happening over there, join in. You can see my own #stoplookbreathecreate practice there too.
Sign yourself up for the Art of Mindfulness community eNews which goes out once a month. It contains guided meditations, podcasts and blogs to get you inspired and motivated to practice. You can sign up below.
Art of Mindfulness Community e-news. meditations & Podcasts direct to your inbox
Copyright for all the Your #stoplookbreathecreate artwork featured remains with the artists.
share your #stoplookbreathecreate privately in our Facebook group.
I practice Stop Look Breathe Create every day of my life - and I share my mindful photography, drawing and writing on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr - so do come and say hello. All you need to do is click one of the social media buttons below my art.
So many times in our meditating and creating we want to be other than what we are. We want to be calmer, clearer, less restless, more loving, more wise, more at peace. We want to draw better, have better ideas, more inspiration, more discipline. Creating and meditating can become this wilful effort to get somewhere, be something else.