My Favourite Art Form - Mandala

Don’t you wish there was a full magazine of your favorite art form, to make it even more fascinating you could use it as a resource to help you become a better artist? Since anyone can be an artist. Without even becoming an artist: Art isn't only a painting. Art is anything creative, passionate, and personal. Well, it’s finally here — right before your eyes!

I’ll give you the inside scoop on what mandala art is and why it’s unique. I’ll further explain the interesting connotation and unfold why I got a bang out of mandala art. Finally, to get you well acquainted with this art, I’ll show you some of my previous mandala’s that will make you eager and you will definitely want to try it out for yourself.

I believe that ‘art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness.’ Artists think from their hearts they think of big revolutionary ideas and when I create any art, it instantly elevates my mood and opens my mind to new ideas.

So what is mandala art? It’s not just a geometric artwork on paper. A mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Asian cultures. It can be understood in two different ways: externally as a visual representation of the universe or internally as a guide for several practices that take place in many Asian traditions, including meditation. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the belief is that by entering the mandala and proceeding towards its center, you are guided through the cosmic process of transforming the universe from one of suffering into one of joy and happiness. The circular design symbolizes the idea that life is never-ending and everything is connected.

I like mandala because it is an aid to meditation for me. Helping me envision how to achieve my perfect self. The process of creating, coloring, or meditating over round, symmetrical shapes heals me as it connects me to my inner self and promotes mindfulness, enhances focus, concentration and inculcates emotions of joy and happiness. Going down memory lane my mandala journey started in May last year and it hasn’t come to an end, honestly, it never will ……The reason is my fondness for it which has to lead me to start my own YouTube channel just to share my mandalas…... I wish I could wake up every morning, gather my mandala supplies, sit at a comfortable spot and practice it all day long. Whenever I am tired or frustrated I put a stop to my work, grab my supplies, and practice mandala. Somehow it helps me to calm down, gather my thoughts, inspires me, incites new questions and provokes curiosity. I feel as if I have entered another universe – a universe where I am the leader and I have full liberty of ANYTHING and EVERYTHING whether it is expressing my emotions through my art or even deciding the color scheme of my art. In my universe colors are represented by different PLANETS, STARS, and GALAXIES, and my art is connected to me with emotion. Here’s a fun fact about all the artists: We all make art because there is something creative inside us that needs to get out. Our art always depends on our mood if we are sad we tend to work with a neutral color palette similarly if we are in a happy mood we work with bright, warm colors. It is definitely my favorite art form and my favorite activity ever!

Thereby, I will conclude my blog with a quote by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche - “Each person’s life is like a mandala – a vast, limitless circle. We stand in the center of our own circle, and everything we see, hear and think forms the mandala of our life.”

By- AASTHA NARANG

GRADE 11 B