Art as Meditation

I'm a lucky girl. Lucky enough to have a whole extra room in my house that is dedicated to nothing but creative pursuits-painting, drawing, sewing, scrapbooking, and any other kind of creative project I feel like taking on. We've lived in our current home for just under a year, and only recently have I starting taking advantage of this creative space.

Art is one of my favorite ways to meditate, that is, as long as I close the door and leave my inner critic out in the hallway. On those blissful occasions when I'm completely tuned in (or out, depending on how you want to look at it :) my mind is devoid of thought, time flys by and I have no awareness of anything-not even of the canvas in front of me. Sometimes I would swear that what I end up creating feels like it came from somewhere else.

Playing piano and running can work the same way for me. I think this kind of "moving meditation" is just as important as sitting still to quiet the mind. Here's what came out of my latest painting meditation...


18" x 28" Acrylic on canvas.

This is one of my favorite paintings by German artist Micheal Sowa. All of his paintings are whimsical and usually depict animals doing something quite unexpected (like a pig leaping joyfully off of a dock into a pond). We have 4 of his prints and all of them always make me smile. I wonder where Micheal Sowa goes when he paints? I think I would like to visit that place :)


Micheal Sowa's "Fowl with Pearls."