Do You Doodle?

“Man is so made, 

that he can only find relaxation 

from one kind of labor, 

by taking up another. ”

~ Anatole France

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Martini"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
alcohol inks on Yupo paper
● SOLD

I think an important part of the creative process is allowing the "right brain" to dominate and take control of the matters at hand. Too often, I hear that critical "left brain" voicing it's know-it-all opinions when things start to go wrong. The annoying, detractive, subconscious mumblings seem to take pleasure in trying to undermine my intuitive, creative muse.

Nowadays, when I start to hear that destructive chatter, I can usually refocus and settle back into "the zone" fairly quickly. One of the sure fire ways I regroup is to take a deep breath and do a little doodling. Mindful doodling has been proven to relax the mind and encourage creativity. There are many videos and information online on "Zentangle", a somewhat new, more methodized and commercialized form of the art. The truth is, you don't need a kit, a manual or any special supplies to get started. Just look at some of the great doodle art other people are doing out there and get inspired!

This painting started out as an experiment and I thought a probable reject. Near the end, I got a phone call from a friend and started doodling on it with a white pen. After relaxing, doodling and letting the piece tell me what it wanted, I was very happy with the end result. I posted it online yesterday and it is already sold! Yay! Lesson learned. Listen to your intution and get into "the zone". It might just save the day, or at least the painting of the day!

What do you do when that "left critical brain" rears it's ugly head? How do you relax? Can you offer some tips on what works for you?

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy creating!

X ♥  O