I'm not sure if I like this drawing -- most of my artwork is mediocre at best -- but I like the concept behind it. One of the key concepts of mindfulness is mindfulness of thoughts. Being mindful of one's thoughts means watching them go by without "chasing after them" or getting caught up in them. It's simply observing your thoughts as they occur. Various books and articles I've read on mindfulness suggest different techniques for doing this. One technique is to imagine a parade marching by and see your thoughts written on placards or banners. Another is to imagine your thoughts written on leaves as they float by on a flowing stream. That, of course, is the premise of this picture.
I just discovered your thoughtful blog, awhile ago, and have it on my Google Reader so I don't miss any posts. I like your sketch and the concept of watching the stream of thoughts flow by without following after them. Very helpful to us.
ReplyDeleteThank you...
annie
I had a teacher work with me imagining my negative thoughts floating away on balloons... popping when they reached the clouds.
ReplyDeleteGood post.
I think the concept, or inspiration is the main engine of a piece and often artists get much too hung up on evaluating technique. I love your idea about leaves floating by just like thoughts in the mind. And I love the rough crayon marks with the white paper showing through like light glittering on moving water. I've also been working with images of leaves lately-- but my "concept" is not as clear! I guess mine is about leaves (thoughts) settling quietly in the midst of this seeming complex world. I'm attracted to tangled, interwoven images in my work right now- for some reason... I dunno, something about stillness in the midst of chaos?
ReplyDeleteHi Melody,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the sharing your drawing. It actually does it's job, I think, conveying the movement of life and also the calm of not clinging. (Also, thank you for your comments on my last post.)
Nathan
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