Drawing Meditation: rectangles, lines and diagonals
Meditation doesn’t always have to be about sitting. In fact, another types of meditation you can do is a drawing meditation.
Awhile back, I did another type of drawing meditation with circles, teardrops and lines. It was before I became a meditation teacher; you’ll notice the structure of that meditation is a bit different.
Preparation
It is fairly easy to prepare for a drawing meditation.Â
You’ll want to find a quiet space. Drawing in a busy spot with lots of noise can make it harder to concentrate. If you can, try to eliminate distractions.
You’ll need some drawing utensils: paper, pens, pencils and a ruler if you would like to use one.Â
Make sure you have adequate lighting. You can add some soft music (preferably wordless) if you’d like.Â
You can light a candle to set the mood, as well.
Other considerations
For the meditation, you can do a couple things.Â
You can watch the video and treat it as a meditation itself. Just as it’s meditative to watch someone create art, paint, build something, or carve a sculpture, you can use the video as a meditative point in your day and just observe, while also focusing on the breath.
The other thing you can do is watch the video to know how YOU would like to do your own drawing meditation.
For this particular meditation, I chose rectangles, lines and diagonals. You can choose your own shapes, just do so beforehand.
After you have done that, adopt a “be kind to yourself” attitude. Your drawing becomes a meditation. It doesn’t matter what it looks like. Only you have to see it, anyways. It doesn’t matter if a line isn’t perfectly straight, or if it’s a masterful rendition of geometry or not.Â
The other thing you can do is not to try too hard – either at breathing, or at drawing. If you find yourself getting frustrated – at all – for not doing something perfectly, take a step back and ask yourself why.Â
The point is to focus on breathing and drawing. As thoughts come, you can observe them, just as you observe yourself drawing. Then let the thoughts go and continue.Â
If you make a mistake (though I sped up the drawing portion of the video, you might be able to see where I made mistakes), just work with it. As Bob Ross used to say, “we don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.”
Let the messed up lines, the accidental overshots of lines enhance your meditation. Let them become part of it as if they’re meant to be there, because they are.
The meditation
Take a few deep breaths before you begin.Â
Let go of any expectations of what you think your drawing should look like or become. It will become what it will.
As you draw, focus on the act of drawing itself. Bring your awareness to the breath and try to stay aware of your breathing as much as possible.Â
Enjoy.
Cyndi, as the wife of an artist and two daughters who absolutelylove to draw, I couldn’t love more using drawing for meditation purposes. Seriously, I am definitely going to share with my husband after work tonight as I think he would totally benefit from something like this. Thanks for sharing and now sending many Monday hugs your way!! Have a wonderful week ahead, as well <3 xoxo
Janine – you know what’s funny? I did not know your husby was an artist. I thought he worked in finance for some reason. lol. That’s so awesome! Let me know if he tries this as a meditation. It’s pretty fun. I think I’ll continue and do circles, and then triangles and see what I come up with. ð
Sending hugs your way, too, and thank you!
I love this idea too Cynthia. Partly for the meditation, but also as a gentle way to explore drawing. I loved drawing as a child and have been wondering about playing with drawing again!
Brad – Omigosh! You loved drawing as a kiddo!? Well then! I say it’s high time to play with pencils, erasers, markers and crayons! Ha! I’m only half-kidding. I think you could really do some amazing stuff, friend! You’ve got it in you – I totally see it. I expect to see a blog post soon about it. Just saying. ðĪŠ
Yes, yes, it’s time to let my kiddo play with pencils, pens, crayons, and more! ð I hope I actually do something about this urge. Thanks for the encouragement Cynthia.
Brad – haha, that’s right. I’d love to see what you create. ð
oh man!
looks like fun (and effective, meditationistically-speaking*) I suspect watching you draw (in the video) will help more than my own efforts to draw…lol
That said, it does bring to mind a felt-tip pen phase of my life,… aiyyiee! interlocking arrows conspiring to entrap themselves!
I will now go back and watch some more
not a ‘real’ word
Clark, you have a gift for inventing words, I swear. ð “Meditationally speaking,” “felt-tip pen phase” – these are great! And I can tell you have been really working on your creative writing – it shows. I could see you trying the drawing thing. You know…watching the interlocking arrows conspire to entrap themselfs. I think they would be so interesting to look at and contemplate. It’s totally fun and very calming. ð
The minute I watched your video, it reminded me of my younger days. I said I’m going to try this out with my nephew and nieces. They would love this as well as I, of course! ð
Hi, Bernice! You know what’s so fun about drawing, is that it DOES bring out the younger version of ourselves. Hehe. I think all too often our society tells us that drawing is “child’s play” and it is not encouraged as we get older. But drawing is a wonderful way to get in touch with, yes, our younger selves that were more apt to use imagination and less judgment of how our drawings turned out. That said, I hope you try it for yourself as well as with the nieces and nephews. I’d love to see what you come up with. ð
Come on, Lil Sis, I can’t draw a lick! You have no idea how bad I am at drawing. ð Is there any hope for me at all? lol
Life is good, my friend. Busy, busy,and more busy, but it’s a good kind of busy, you know? It’s the kind of busy that feeds the soul, the kind of busy I have wanted my entire life.
And I wish you the same kind of busy.
Hugs from mild Olympia
Big Bro – well, if you can’t draw, you darn well can do just about anything else. Hehe. I think you’re better at drawing than you give yourself credit for. Just saying. But all this talk about drawing makes me also want to get out my easel, and paint a great big ol’ mandala. You know, when I get this course really underway and going, I think I may have to take it up again. Just before discovering HubPages in 2011, I would spend all my free time painting. Writing and painting. Painting and writing. Oh…painting with words and writing with pictures really capture my heart and…set me free. But I don’t want to be pressured to do it, you know? I always knew that art would be part of my life, but in a way that was always intuitive and…spiritual. lol. It does make for a good kind of busy, too. I hope you’re having a great week. Happy Friday and hugs from chilly Cackalack.
Love the freedom and nonjudgmental approach you have to this drawing meditation, dear Cynthia.
You show us there is a style(s) of meditation for us all. Love and thanks, Maria
Mar – hehe, yes…you can probably see the “mistakes” I make but…they are happy little accidents that become part of the piece itself. After doing this meditation, I got inspired to do some circles and triangles. ð
And yes, there is a style of meditation for all. There truly is.
Sending you the biggest hugs, love and light, sweet friend! xoxo
Dearest Cynthia, I saw the drawing meditation click into my notifications on my phone when you first posted it, and I sat my phone on the work top while I was going to listen as I was making an apple pie at the time.. lol.. I am afraid I got enthralled in your drawing and stopped pastry making, while I watched your finished piece.. memorising it was too.
And if we all just followed our flow, our instincts, its amazing what we can create, both in art and words.
Sending Love your way Cynthia, I hope you are Ok and not caught up in the icy blast sweeping the USA… take care of yourself Cynthia.. and left you a longish reply via your last comment at my place..
Sending LOVE always <3
Sue – mmm, apple pie! That sounds so lovely. I may need to make some yummy dessert soon…I’ve been wanting something good, and yet good for the soul, too. ð
What you said about the drawing being mesmerizing? Oh yes…this is partly why I create these. Not because it’s all about mesmerizing others, hehe, but because I love watching creative videos like this myself and noticed how calming they were. It gave me the idea to do them as meditations. ð
It teaches so many things, too. As you mentioned, it helps to teach us flow, and listening to intuition. I do not pre-plan what I’ll do. I’ll just do it and “feel” it out. As I mentioned in another comment, I got inspired to do circles next, and then some triangles. A trio of meditations that create balance. I have been trying to figure out what to send a friend of mine for her new baby. She is someone of means, so I didn’t want to just go out to the store and get something. I wanted to create something meaningful. After I completed this meditation, I had my answer. Hehe. I love it when that happens. So yes…doing creative meditations also teaches patience, perseverance and insight.
Thank you for your sweet, sweet comments – always. I so enjoy them. And I am staying warm, hehe. It did get cold here, but we were able to dodge the worst of it. My heart goes out to those who have to endure the truly bitter cold, but I know it’s lifting soon.
Sending you hugs, love and light, dear friend! You are incredible!
Drawing for meditative purposes gets a thumbs up from me! I haven’t drawn in years but did so all the time in elementary school. Maybe I need to reconnect with my inner artist ð
Hello, Christy! It makes me smile at your thumbs up. I can totally see you getting into drawing once again. You have a creative, poetic soul. I’m willing to bet that if you try your hand at artwork, you will surprise yourself. Haha I lovingly challenge you to cultivate your inner artist. ð Sending you hugs!
I’m so glad I kept this video for today… sitting here with a glass of chocolate almond milk and watching your create all those beautiful lines and rectangles = heaven. Really! Watching you draw and listening to that music is SO soothing and peaceful. Thank you for this, I feel like I should block out time each week to watch one of your meditation art videos – I LOVE them!! And I love seeing you on camera too hehe ð Happy Saturday sweet friend! oxo
Sweet Melanie! I truly love your comments. I could just see you sitting over in your chair in Cape Town trying to stay cool, drinking your milk, and taking in all the lines. Hehe. You make me smile so big. I really do love meditative drawing. You’ve got me thinking that perhaps I should incorporate drawing meditations into my daily meditations. I’m not quite sure how I will implement that due to the Time involved, but you definitely have me thinking. For that I am particularly thankful for your comment. And me on camera? I am learning how to get more comfortable with it. I’m sort of trying to embrace it as another medium to spread the good message of everybody calm down and get meditated. Ha! Sending you big hugs, Love and light. Happy Saturday to you, too.