Drawing and Meditation

The other day, I needed to calm down.

So I grabbed a slightly dried-out Sharpie and started making dots.

I think I started somewhere near the middle of the paper.

After a while, it looked like this:


There's a lot going on here... the sound of the pen on the paper, following the dots wherever they may want to go, and patience. Not trying to draw a thing. Just making marks.

Interestingly, now I find I can look at it and see all kinds of patterns and moods and things. It reminds me of the surface of a pond.

Like I often say, drawing does not have to be about making something, and it certainly doesn't have to be about judging whether a drawing is "good."

It can be a way to create some mental space for yourself. And we all need some mental space.

Do you have a type of mark you like to make, over and over? Dots, lines, spirals, shapes? Smiley faces? Give yourself some time and space to fill a sheet of paper, or a placemat, or a receipt. Let other parts of your mind take over for a while. A little drawing meditation.