When I was little, a perfect weekend looked like this: my granny read out some story while I was drawing something. Of course at that time I didn’t call it that, but it was a form of meditation. Today I still go on doing this, as I feel the very same calmness bending over the paper as I did when I was a child. You don’t have to be particularly talented or creative to try these techniques – the hardest is probably taking the time and going offline. However, these two are essential for the more traditional ways of meditation too, so if you enjoy meditation, why not experiment with these creative ways?

1. Draw, but nothing in particular!

I’m talking about a more mindful version of “doodling while on the phone”. You don’t have to plan the whole picture in advance, just let the pen/pencil/brush/whatever take hold of your hand. It doesn’t have to look nice, or even depict anything, just smell the ink, see the texture of the paper under the pencil, or watch how paint is shining in the light. If you are too much of a planner (like me), invent a simple pattern and repeat it till you reach the edge of the paper. While drawing, you can listen to music, or let your thoughts wander, you don’t have to pay attention to your hands constantly – drawing will bring your mind back to the paper itself, without forcing.

This image comes from The Alison Show’s watercolor tutorial, go, have a look!

2. Paint bubbles!

Doodling might be okay with less creative people, but painting seems to be a fright for many. However, there is no need to be afraid of paint any more than a pen. It might be a little more complicated to get hold of watercolor paper, paint and a brush, but there is nothing more enjoyable than to see how colors run into each other, blend, or how all the watercolor layers are visible on top of each other. The easiest thing is to paint bubbles. There are no expectations, they don’t have to be perfect circles, while you can play with colors, the amount of water, or you can just get to know the nature of watercolor better.

3. Describe it!

When did you last grab an art album? I bet it’s been a hell long time! Take your favourite one from the bookshelf, look for a nice painting and describe – even to yourself – what you can see. Tell the story like you were talking to a blind person: describe the little details as well as the atmosphere of the whole picture, describe the colors, you can even imagine the story behind. This method also works with objects around you, it doesn’t have to be an art book. However, perfect concentration will keep your mind from everyday worries, as well as improve your concentration skills. Also, going through an art album will limit the mountin of visual information into a digestable amount, while being perfectly worthy of your attention.

How do you guys meditate?

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