"Alternate Universe”
“Alternate Universe” - created July 2nd, 2021
THE MANDALA PROJECT - How it came to life
If you know someone whose day would be brightened by this Mandala, please pass it along! Even more magical, with a love note from you!
The Mandala Project: #28
Wasn’t thinking about making a mandala this day, mostly because we were in the midst of a heat wave, a week of +40ºC temps. (It’s actually a bit bizzare to be writing about that July day on this December day, when the ‘feels like’ temp out there is -40ºC.)
Since it was so stinkin’ hot, the only outdoor plan was taking Lily to the river for a swim, but the mandalas did what they like to do—put something in my path and talked me into it.
On the way back to the car I came across a lawn scattered with these funky seed pods and gathered a few up, thinking I might create something with them later that evening once it had cooled down a bit.
But when I got to the car the message came in loud and clear: “ No time like the present...”.
…parallel Universe
Process
Something I love about the mandalas is how much of the final image is informed by how I’m choosing to compose and edit the photos of them.
The creative act of ‘shaping attention’ connects the story teller and the audience, it opens the door of imagination, inviting you to consider a possibility, and bring a little of your own magic to it.
As this one came together the scrapes in the asphalt and the swirling dusting of orange pollen started to look like galaxies on the dark pavement. Later in editing, saturating the blues and making the image darker emphasized this particular story.
The next day I had a crisis of conscience about moving the seeds away from their natural landing zone, and stopped by on my way home from a ride to bring them back. They were long gone; the wind and a thunderstorm the night before had strewn them far and wide. (Like I’m the force that’s rearranging the Universe.)
We live in a culture that supports and encourages the ideal of self-sufficiency, and most of us spend our lives striving for it. It’s a myth, and believing it comes with a steep price.