“Down the Rabbit Hole”
“Down the Rabbit Hole” - created June 4th, 2021
The Mandala Project: #8
A pattern emerged with this Mandala, an “order of things’, that’s turning out to be the process for almost every one. Bottom line: It’s not done ‘til it’s done.
In the first 30-45 minutes, things get arranged together in a composition that seems “okay enough”, but there’s always an urge to continue exploring new or more complex variations. This often includes swapping out some of the things that have been gathered, or wandering in a 20-50 foot radius around the site of the developing Mandala, hoping to perceive what additional thing/s will pull it together.
Variations on a Theme
The first found objects on this day were a bear disguised as a piece of wood and a heart-shaped rock (high five if you share my broad parameters around what constitutes heart-shaped).
Here are a few of the variations that emerged in the first hour or so:
Lily and I returned to this Mandala on our afternoon dog walk, and I was inspired to bring in the stones and grasses that imbued it with a nest-like quality.
There’s a sweet spot in the creative process where the elements come together in a way that just feels “right”
Landing there is a push/pull process of assessing how things are working together and recognizing when you haven’t gone quite far enough, when you’ve overshot and need to unwind a move or two, or when you need to start over from scratch.
The Fine Line Between Devotion and ADDICTION
On average I spend 2-3 hours focused on each mandala. The experience ranges from engaged, immersed, absorbed, consumed—to a total free-fall down the rabbit hole.
It’s a dance between devotion and obsession. Sometimes I’m a creator, creating art—and at others I’m more like an addict chasing down a fix.
Still getting clear where exactly that line is.
What’s fascinating is that this dynamic shows up in pretty much every creative venture I undertake. It’s a distinction that feels essential to get a handle on, because the first one is expansive and energizing and the second is a collapse into attachment and agenda that leads to feeling depleted and joyless.
Depth psychologist and wilderness based soul guide Bill Plotkin, who’s also an agent for cultural evolution and a captivating philosopher, introduced me to the concept of the ego as ‘an adult agent for the soul’ vs. ‘an adolescent agent for itself’.
That very much fits here.
He offers a revolutionary and inspiring insight into this primary relationship in our lives that’s unlike anything I’ve heard before. I’m diving into it in a little more depth in my upcoming podcast episode: “Romancing Our True Nature”, which airs the first week of August.
*mid-August update: Click below to listen to the published episode
THE MANDALA PROJECT
I’m posting one new Mandala every Monday with a few words about how it came to be, and the challenges that arose or insights that emerged in its creation.
Check back here to see the new ones, or subscribe below if you’d like to receive them directly.
< Mandalas 1, 2 and 3, and the story of how the project came to life