Download PDF – Creating Mandalas In Community

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Materials Needed

• A Large Sheet of Black Paper
• White Pencil
• Pencil Sharpener
• Colored Pencils
• Sketchbook Journal
• Pen or Pencil

Instruction Review

1. Draw a circle that fills the page
2. Trace your hand somewhere in the circle
3. Put your name and date on the back of your paper
4. Keep your list of words going in your sketchbook throughout this practice
5. Each person then passes his/her sheet of paper to the right
6. Trace your hand within the circle on the paper you received
7. Pass the paper again, and again, until everyone has traced their hand within everyone’s circle and your paper has made its way back to you
8. Here is where it gets interesting
9. Use the Black and White Mandala techniques to fill in the space surrounding the hand’s outlines
10. Draw lines and shapes around the outline of the hands, shading the forms in as you go
11. Use any of the technigues you have learned this far
12. Rotate your paper around as you work
13. Have someone in charge of keeping a time check because every five minutes or so, you will want to pass your paper to the right again, and again, and again, as before
14. Once your paper has made its way back you and you feel it is complete, now engage in the Harvesting Words practice. Everyone will have their own individual Harvest
15. You might want to write the words within the mandala
16. Make sure you record your words in a vertical column in your sketchbook journal
17. When you are almost finished, add in some areas of colored pencil
18. Do your Word Harvest Practice in your sketchbook journal and then record it on the back of your personal mandala

Practicing

If you have been creating with a small group, this part is easy. If you have been creating by yourself, now is the time to think of who you could call in to your creative circle. If this does not feel right, simply use your own hand multiple times to represent the many sides of who you are.

Since this is a larger mandala, it will probably take you most of the week to complete.

If you are practicing with a group, you will want to allow more time or meet several times during the week in order to complete this practice.

Responding

Reflect on the process of creating within community.

How did you feel when “your” mandala circled back around to you the first time?

How did you feel when “your” mandala was finished?

Do any of these feelings remind of how you might be feeling in your life at the moment?

If you did this practice individually, how do you think your feelings might have differed in a community setting?

Sharing

Sharing your thoughts and experiences in the Gathering Place at the bottom of the pages as well as on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! Mention us @CreatingBrave in your status, tweet and/or caption and include the hashtags #CreatingBrave and #CommunityMandala