The Power of Zen

If you are anything like me, you keep going and going until you drop. You have a checklist/do-list a mile long and it seems like you always put more things on it than you can remove. At the end of the day that glass (or bottle) of wine just isn't cutting it anymore and you need something to relax you, something that will allow you to simply take a step back and breathe.

This is the exact boat I was in and I needed something to relax and unwind and ultimately distract my very busy busy brain.

So dots walk into a bar...

Or rather, I walked into the world of dots. Mandalas more specifically.

Now, I know you see something like this when you here words like "mandala" and "dots"

Just looking at this, despite it's beauty, kind of stresses me out with it's perfection. Just the thought of trying to complete something like that makes my heart race. No, I'm talking about scaling it back. Super. SUPER simple. This is what my original dots looked like.

Small scale "canvas" of rocks that I had collected while walking the beach. I hadn't really planned on doing much with them, but thought "hey, why not mind as well give it a try." Using the handle end of paintbrushes and some acrylic paint in the back of the art cabinet, seriously only that paint really knows how long it has been back there, I began my journey of dots.

As I began my first rock, I realized that I might have bitten off more than I can chew. The dots were different sizes, some of them blurred together. In all honesty it was kind of a hot mess, BUT despite the final product being less than lack luster it was the process that made it totally worth it. Each dot, no matter it's imperfection, took this hyper focus to make sure the dots were being placed correctly and using the correct colors. Not only did I notice how relaxed I felt afterward, but there was an overall peace that I found upon completion, this sense of satisfaction.

And then I couldn't stop. I painted rock after rock, dot after dot. By the time I was done I realized I must have painted at least twenty some rocks with these tiny little dots.

But WHAT did all of these dots mean? Surely there was a significance with the colors?

In between dotting, I did some research finding out what different colors meant and stood for. How different combinations could lead to different healing or spiritual awaking.

YELLOW: for happiness

ORANGE: for creativity/outgoing

RED: for energy and passion

PINK: for love and friendliness

PURPLE: for spirituality

BLUE: for mental healing/calm

GREEN: physical healing/stability

With these new combinations I set out with a deeper purpose.

Seeing as this was a project I wished to continue, I found myself needing to step up my game. I found stippling tools on Amazon which would allow me to expand the size of my "canvas" and that's exactly what I did.

I moved to canvases. The larger scale project was daunting and exhilarating all at the same time. I knew these would take longer and allow for more elaborate pieces.

The outcome was not only completely relaxing and beautiful with the mesmerizing dot after dot process but also the final product totally paid off.

Not going to lie, this activity became a little bit of an obsession of mine and I kept going bigger.

And bigger.

And BIGGER.

I'm not sure if or when I will ever stop doing dot work. My next project is a 3'x4' canvas...it might be more than I can chew, but it's not about the destination. It's about the journey and I knew the dots will take me all the way.

I highly recommend trying dot work, even if you want to keep it simple and on a small scale. The benefits of the exercise are tremendous.

For more of my work please visit my Etsy page.