* Art Therapy Mandalas *
Art Therapy - Working with Mandalas
2021(c) Article by Tatiana Balashova
Mandalas in art therapy is a very powerful technique which can be used by people of different ages, on average 5+ y.o. It is very important to make a distinction though between art therapy mandalas technique and currently popular intricate coloring mandalas which can be intricate with elements of sacred geometry, some quite stunning and artsy but not necessarily reflect what you actually feel in the moment of painting them.
There is value in both art therapy mandalas and coloring mandalas or painting artistic mandalas from scratch, yet the goal is different in some way.
In this article you can find brief instructions on how to explore painting in a mandala and important points.
Which is a reflection of your inner world and subconscious mind, actual for the time of creating the mandala.
How to Paint Mandalas (an art therapy technique):
1) take an A3 format paper, if you don't have such paper, A4 /letter size can also work (take a thicker paper like the one for mixed media or drawing is fine)
2) draw with a pencil a circle approximately size of a human head (adult for adults for example)
3) focus on your inner world, what do you feel now? what mood you are in? what is asking to be out on paper?
4) use any medium of your choice to paint a mandala being in the moment, painting from your irrational mind is recommended. Do not judge yourself and your painting, however take a notice when feel what, e.g. when you especially enjoy that process of creating a mandala, and also when your inner critic gets activated (if that happens) and so on.
Best materials to try when painting such mandalas:
* color pencils
* soft or oil pastels
* crayons
* gouache
If you feel like starting with crayons and then doing gouache rather, that's fine!
if you want to use many colors or only 2-3 colors, that's ok as well.
At the same time you can experiment and add some more colors to see how it feels.
If you can switch your logical, rational mind off, you can even let your hands choose what they want.
As an option you can also try to paint with your non-leading hand (e.g. left for right-handed people).
5) Unleash your subconscious and keep in mind that:
* Your mandala does not have to be fancy or pretty
* Your mandala does not have to be perfect in the sacred geometry or any other rules
* Your mandala does not have to contain certain recognizable elements (symbols, hieroglyphs, etc) even though it might have them if you feel like that
* It is OK and even recommended to express what you feel, any emotion and spontaneous impulse
* Each painting with a mandala is valuable no matter of artistic value judged by other people
* You can paint / draw mandalas for the sake or experience and the feeling, or choose to dive deeper and discuss the works with an art therapist after.
6)* (optional) you can use music if you want, it can help if you are drawing/ painting on a theme or certain mood. Yet I'd recommend at first to start without any music tuning into your own inner world rather, because music can draw you into someone else's world. the goal is first thing is to connect to your own psyche and find a creative outlet for whatever is inside.
You can set a timer for a specific time (e.g. 10 or 15 minutes) or give yourself as much time as you want. At times it can be hard to stop for some people who are perfectionists, in that case I'd rather recommend setting time from 10 to 30 minutes per mandala.
7)* you can also paint a series of mandalas
8) (optional yet recommended) if you have a chance, you can discuss the mandalas with your art therapist, counselor or a life coach. or in a group of enthusiasts, if you do it without a trained practitioner, make sure to discuss beforehand the group rules for confidentiality, non-judgmental compassionate environment, the right to "read" a mandala from your own perspective as in a way mandalas (whether your own or other people's) can also be used as a reflective material, like a Metaphorical Associative Card. Mandalas as any art can trigger some vulnerable points, memories, subconscious patterns and require therapy.
However it can still help to bring down some negative feeling like anxiety or anger, in this case rate your mood and state on a scale of 10 before painting (you can even do it for a few factors to your choice - happy, peaceful, anxious, angry, restless, balanced and so on...)
For beginners I'd recommend to do it with an art therapist or on your own at first.
To book a consultation with Tatiana, fill out this form:
2021(c) Article by Tatiana Balashova
Mandalas in art therapy is a very powerful technique which can be used by people of different ages, on average 5+ y.o. It is very important to make a distinction though between art therapy mandalas technique and currently popular intricate coloring mandalas which can be intricate with elements of sacred geometry, some quite stunning and artsy but not necessarily reflect what you actually feel in the moment of painting them.
There is value in both art therapy mandalas and coloring mandalas or painting artistic mandalas from scratch, yet the goal is different in some way.
In this article you can find brief instructions on how to explore painting in a mandala and important points.
Which is a reflection of your inner world and subconscious mind, actual for the time of creating the mandala.
How to Paint Mandalas (an art therapy technique):
1) take an A3 format paper, if you don't have such paper, A4 /letter size can also work (take a thicker paper like the one for mixed media or drawing is fine)
2) draw with a pencil a circle approximately size of a human head (adult for adults for example)
3) focus on your inner world, what do you feel now? what mood you are in? what is asking to be out on paper?
4) use any medium of your choice to paint a mandala being in the moment, painting from your irrational mind is recommended. Do not judge yourself and your painting, however take a notice when feel what, e.g. when you especially enjoy that process of creating a mandala, and also when your inner critic gets activated (if that happens) and so on.
Best materials to try when painting such mandalas:
* color pencils
* soft or oil pastels
* crayons
* gouache
If you feel like starting with crayons and then doing gouache rather, that's fine!
if you want to use many colors or only 2-3 colors, that's ok as well.
At the same time you can experiment and add some more colors to see how it feels.
If you can switch your logical, rational mind off, you can even let your hands choose what they want.
As an option you can also try to paint with your non-leading hand (e.g. left for right-handed people).
5) Unleash your subconscious and keep in mind that:
* Your mandala does not have to be fancy or pretty
* Your mandala does not have to be perfect in the sacred geometry or any other rules
* Your mandala does not have to contain certain recognizable elements (symbols, hieroglyphs, etc) even though it might have them if you feel like that
* It is OK and even recommended to express what you feel, any emotion and spontaneous impulse
* Each painting with a mandala is valuable no matter of artistic value judged by other people
* You can paint / draw mandalas for the sake or experience and the feeling, or choose to dive deeper and discuss the works with an art therapist after.
6)* (optional) you can use music if you want, it can help if you are drawing/ painting on a theme or certain mood. Yet I'd recommend at first to start without any music tuning into your own inner world rather, because music can draw you into someone else's world. the goal is first thing is to connect to your own psyche and find a creative outlet for whatever is inside.
You can set a timer for a specific time (e.g. 10 or 15 minutes) or give yourself as much time as you want. At times it can be hard to stop for some people who are perfectionists, in that case I'd rather recommend setting time from 10 to 30 minutes per mandala.
7)* you can also paint a series of mandalas
8) (optional yet recommended) if you have a chance, you can discuss the mandalas with your art therapist, counselor or a life coach. or in a group of enthusiasts, if you do it without a trained practitioner, make sure to discuss beforehand the group rules for confidentiality, non-judgmental compassionate environment, the right to "read" a mandala from your own perspective as in a way mandalas (whether your own or other people's) can also be used as a reflective material, like a Metaphorical Associative Card. Mandalas as any art can trigger some vulnerable points, memories, subconscious patterns and require therapy.
However it can still help to bring down some negative feeling like anxiety or anger, in this case rate your mood and state on a scale of 10 before painting (you can even do it for a few factors to your choice - happy, peaceful, anxious, angry, restless, balanced and so on...)
For beginners I'd recommend to do it with an art therapist or on your own at first.
To book a consultation with Tatiana, fill out this form:
9) Q: should I keep those mandalas?
A: yes, you can if you like them or if you want to (I personally prefer keeping my paintings for a few months at least). if you are traveling and cannot keep them, you can take a picture of the paintings/ drawings.
10) Q: Is it a good idea to keep a painting if I don't like it?
A: there is no ready-made answer to that. it depends. For sure I'd recommend to work with some more intense-feeling mandalas with a therapist first before throwing them away, however you people make their own choice about keeping mandalas or not.
"I contacted Tatiana as a specialist in art therapy and metaphorical cards and she helped me a lot to get to a different level of understanding of my limiting beliefs which prevented me from making important life-changing decisions. I am very grateful to her for that. Apart from the fact that Tatiana is striving to be great at her profession, she is also a very warm and responsive person. I sincerely hope that she will have a chance to help as many people as possible.
(Marina, St.Petersburg, Russia, February 2018)
