Tap into Creativity by making a Mandala — and you don't have to be good at art for it to be beautiful.

When I talk to people about my work as a creative consultant, show them my work, or invite them to participate they — more often that not — respond with: oh, I can't even draw a stick figure. I love it when people say crap like that — my 'challenge accepted' antennae unfurl and dance like naughty little leprechauns up there somewhere near my halo *cough.

So go on — say it. And I shall henceforth reveal to you one of the most wonderful little exercises that brings the effort-to-delight ratio way waaaaay down to about 1 : 11-ty billion

Ready? I reveal to you, THIS (with instructions for those who like them)

A drawing of a nature mandala, with leaves, flowers and illustrative elements. by Zoe Collins. — A drawing I did for an assignment in the Grad Cert of Creative Therapies, in 2023, as part of an assignment with four of the most brilliant women I've ever studied with.

What's a mandala?

The word 'mandala' is Sanskrit for 'circular object'. Mandalas have been used in various cultures for generations, for varying purposes. They contain patterns of repeated motifs or objects and can be seen as a symbolic representation of the way we can use creativity to transform our worries into joy. If you're keen, get out your google and go down the rabbit hole of endless arrays of thoughtfully derived meditations and creations! Then come back here and be inspired to make your own.

What are we going to do?

Simply put, we are going to make our own, by gathering objects and arranging them in a circular pattern. It is a very open ended exercise — you can create a mandala out of anything. No pressure, no expectation.

Start here.

Gather your objects.

My preference is to go for a walk out in the greenery and gather stones, leaves, sticks, gumnuts, feathers, whatever's on hand. The trick is to gather multiples and do it as slowly and mindfully as you can. If you really take the time to look at each object, you'll notice the beauty in similarity and difference. No two leaves are the same. Each pebble will have differences in size, texture and colour. And yet, they belong together, are the 'same'.

Now, don't throw in the towel if you lied about being the outdoor type (there's a song about that). You could instead find objects in your house, your office, or wherever you are. You could make a mandala from kitchen utensils! Stationery items! Salad ingredients, or nuts on top of your Christmas cake (with this recipe at any time of the year, really).

Now what?

Get into it! Start with your central object — something that stood out for you as especially beautiful or meaningful. Place it down with the reverence of a Nepalese monk, admiring it for its beauty, usefulness and ability to take up space in the world just as it is. And, breathe, ok? Don't forget to breathe.

Next, organise all the other bits into neat little piles if you like and slowly create your circle, placing each type of item before the next — large leaves, then smaller leaves, flowers and so on. Play around with different designs, or just be happy with the first one you make. Sometimes it's really easy to settle on a design, sometimes you may want to fiddle until it feels just right.

Lastly

If you're creating in nature, leave it there for nature to swallow it back up at its own pace. Don't take it home — I doubt you need any more stuff and it really isn't necessary to remove things, even if they're 'dead'. There'll be some kind of organism or fungus that's waiting for a chance to devour those nutrients and start the cycle again.

Sometimes, if I am very taken with my mandala, I'll take a quick photo, but if it's on my iPhone, it's difficult for me to not get sucked back into the machine. So, I mostly enjoy the experience and know that at any time, I can create anew.

For the A+ students who want more creativity (I know you're out there):

Create a mandala a day for 7 days, with each object, take a breath and whisper words of gratitude to the sky.
Journal about your experience of making a mandala — what was going on for you in the moments before you made the mandala? And, after?
If you love them, you could document your mandalas and share them with your people. It doesn't have to be a photo — you could sketch them, paint them into a watercolour journal, or make a collage. Tag me on Instagram if you'd like to show me yours. @artforyourlifedotau