The Mandala Project - Tracking a Dialogue with Mystery (and #’s 1, 2 and 3)
“Tracking Yes” - created May 30th, 2021
Life has a funny way of circling back to what we imagine is in the rear view mirror. Whether we’re not done with it or it’s not done with us—it’s fascinating to come around the bend and meet something familiar in an unexpected and entirely new way.
Eight years ago, I quit my 25 year long career as a professional artist, and three years ago I stopped painting altogether.
Both decisions caught me off guard. Painting had been the focal point of my life for almost three decades. I’d dedicated myself to studying, growing and evolving my craft, and building a successful career, but in the end I felt that the commerce and commodification of art, while rewarding in many ways, had become a set up for making the wrong things important. It was robbing joy from the creative process, so I stepped away. Wasn’t sure for how long, maybe forever.
It turned out I didn’t miss it—I was intrigued by the new creative pursuits of coaching, writing and podcasting.
Then late this spring I engaged in an undertaking to spend 40 early mornings outside. I wanted to see what would happen when my first conversation everyday was with nature. That in itself was a compelling exploration, and as I was nearing the end of it, I was introduced to a practice of creating Mandalas from things found on these wanders by embodiment teacher Schuyler Brown. I didn’t realize until I was well into it (I’m up to #50 now) that I was following a wild and engaging path into the re-emergence of my love for creating visual art.
The best/most challenging part of this kind of art-making is that the Mandalas require surrendering control and fixed ideas about what will be created. They’re about trusting the objects that are moving me to gather them before I know why, and then letting the unexpected unfold as they reveal how they want to be arranged together.
Working with the natural world as a medium demands the inclusion of chaos and unpredictability.
It involves coaxing slippery characters to stay put and sticky ones to let go, and a surprising amount of adjusting for gravity—corralling rolling escapees, balancing objects that have mischievous tip-over-ability, working with the lightness or weightiness of things and the tilt of the ground beneath them. Add to that curious animals and insects and the ever-shifting forces of nature moving through the “studio” and it’s an adventure getting the things done.
I’m not sure exactly where the project is leading, but I’m in wonder of the process and clear this quest is being directed and endorsed by something beyond simply my personal desire to do it.
While it’s an engaging creative pursuit, what’s even more compelling is a dialogue that seems to be unfolding in a language that I don’t speak but sense I’ve always known.
Something keeps calling the next Mandala into being; a mysterious, emergent something that’s revealing itself in the making and sharing of them. It feels like learning a secret code to decipher messages from the natural world.
Team mystery! I love that you’re here tracking it with me, and I hope it delights and inspires you to engage with your own playful, creative spirit and curiosity.
Getting things rolling here with the first three.
If you’re subscribed to my blog, you’ll receive a Mandala every Monday with a few words about how it came to be, and the challenges that arose or insights that emerged in its creation.
Mandala #1
“Forest Sage” - created May 28th, 2021
“Forest Sage”
The best thing about doing something for the first time is having no idea what “should” happen. I just followed the instructions: “As you wander, gather things that capture your attention. At the end of the walk, arrange them in a way that feels right.”
Side note: over the past couple of years, the forest has been speaking to me with great enthusiasm and volume, revealing itself in wood beings; creatures emerging from fallen branches, tooth-worn dog sticks and decades old sentinel trees. They seem to be asking to be drawn or painted, to be given a path to share their wisdom, so it felt quite natural that the first element I was called to for the very first Mandala was this pondering character.
He strikes me as a forest sage. I imagine he speaks rarely, and with wisdom and glacial slowness when he does.
The other pieces arrived as a way to frame him, and then the Robin egg—surprise! Loved finding that gorgeous note of blue, an unexpected treasure to complement the earth elements.
Mandala #2
“Seer” - created May 29th, 2021
“Seer”
That the second one “turned out” was a door swinging open. Like, “Oh, I didn't just get lucky yesterday…maybe there’s something to this.”
I was pulled to wood and rocks on this walk, gathering them with no idea how they would come together. One of the final elements I found was the big curved sweep of wood on the top right. I saw it falling away from a stump and when I bent to pick it up I noticed it was still attached so thought to leave it, but then Lily brushed past it and it dropped effortlessly onto the path. It obviously wanted to play.
I love the circular design of this one and the criss-crossing grasses of the backdrop. When it was done, I felt it needed something in the centre. I had to wrap things up and get home so I just placed what I had immediately available. It’s a little piece of wood standing on its flat bottom with its sharp points protruding vertically.
Out there I just saw it as a cool textural note, it wasn’t until I got home and had a better look at the photo that I realized it was…wait a minute…a face.
Interesting…
Mandala #3:
“Tracking Yes” - created May 30th, 2021
“Tracking Yes”
Day three of the Mandala Project was also day 40 of 40 early mornings. Early rising was an accomplishment of dedication and commitment that I’d been taking a run at unsuccessfully for a long time. But this time I did it! Yay!
It was a bluebird morning and I was celebrating.
When I came across a pile of broken branches, the “s” shaped one sparked the idea of making a word with sticks. I actually laid this out in two prior locations along the way and neither one really worked.
Then I found this boulder with beautiful quartz intrusions in a little park in the neighbourhood and it was a perfect fit. I especially loved how the morning sun cast blue shadows that became integral to the finished piece. I’m learning that an essential part of the design is often the background that the pieces that are laid upon—there’s a creative sweet spot when it all feels right together.
The biggest challenge pulling this one together was the exuberant arrival of a 3 month old black lab pup who charged straight for me and scrambled up onto the rock, intent on making off with a mouthful of letters. His owner rushed to whisk him away apologizing, “He just loves sticks”. Her effort was successful for a nano-second, ‘til he escaped and galloped right back in.
I scooped the little rascal up, sternly admonishing his adorable puppy face. He got the message because then he was off after his squeaky ball, leaving me to it.
I adore this Mandala. Because…Tracking Yes, and because I’m beginning to get that this practice is a process of creating magic—from magic—with magic, and what’s better than that?
Not one single thing.
Tracking Yes Podcast UPDATE:
I’m currently on a summer sabbatical from my podcast as I turn my attention to this series of blog posts.
I’m also in the process of creating a new home base for the podcast via a dedicated website so you can easily:
find or search all the episodes in one place
access show notes, transcripts and relevant links to learn more about each topic or guest
suggest guests you’d like to hear interviews with or topics you’re curious about
comment, ask questions, and leave reviews
I hope you’ve been enjoying the show so far—I’m stoked to have hit the 25 episode mark and looking forward to bringing you more great guest interviews and riffs on staying curious and creative in challenging moments starting back up September 1st, 2021.
I’ll be publishing one mini-mid-sabbatical episode in early August. I dig into how the 4o early mornings led to this Mandala Project and why this unexpected emerging conversation with nature has captivated my full attention.
I’ll also share a version of the instructions I learned from Schuyler Brown for Mandala-making-magic in case you’re curious to give it a shot yourself, which I highly recommend!
If you haven’t discovered the Tracking Yes podcast yet, check it out here.
The episodes explore a wide range of topics including some of my favourites: