With a little inspirational encouragement from @riverflows (thank you!), I decided to do a quick post using the Natural Medicine front end... and perhaps expand a little on my last post about creating "spiritual art."
Although my primary creative focus these days is on my mandala painted stones, I have — and continue to — pursued many forms of creativity over the past four decades.
A group of "Soulmate Stones" from today's photography session
Whether it has been creative writing, woodworking or painting on stones, the common thread has been as much about having a cathartic outlet, as having a creative outlet.
In my 20's and 30's I would often joke with people that "my journal is my therapist." Writing as a form of healing can be incredibly healing and relaxing... and an excellent way to work your way through problems and challenges you are facing.
I would often carry on "dialogues" — in writing, in my journal — between my "imaginary" therapist and myself; the beauty of the process being that you feel more free to both ask and answer deeply troubling questions when you know that nobody is watching or listening.
Except, of course, your own "inner wisdom" IS present and paying attention!
Stone designs we are working on for meditation on the 8th Chakra
Painting stones is also a meditation, in its own way.
My standard "Elevator Speech" when we attend shows and set up as a vendor goes something like this:
"The patterns you see come to me during meditation, and I merely try to give them form by painting them on a beach stone. I cannot tell you for certain what the SOURCE is, but I know that when I sit down to start painting I don't really have a PLAN; I just have a blank stone and some colors... and after some time — which can be from twenty minutes to many hours — I have created something I am not quite sure WHERE came from."
But that's only part of the picture.
The actual process of painting a very dense and — quite frankly — quite repetitive pattern is a meditation, in and of itself. And that becomes even more evident if I am creating a pattern with a specific purpose, aside from just being a general meditation stone.
My wife likes to say that I "go into a trance" while I am working, and maybe that's true.
What I do know is that I come out feeling the same sense of balance I used to get many years ago, when I was just meditating, in a general sort of sense.
And I rather like that idea.
Thanks for reading!
Thank You For Supporting!
Because I am trying to make some semblance of income — a living, even — I now add this footer to all my posts, in the hope that someone, somewhere, might decide to take a further look at my work, and perhaps consider supporting independent art.
Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support!
My Alchemy Stones Patreon appeal
Alchemy Stones web site and blog
Thank you for supporting independent art!
2020.01.26 AS-TXT-028