Transforming my mind with Doodle Art

The time around Mother's Day is difficult for me. I miss my mom like crazy. That alone is enough to make me a bit down. Add in some other stress and I found myself in a funk I couldn't shake. I have been trying lately to do something creative to help me remove my focus from what I am down or stressing about. Just basically giving my brain a rest from negative thoughts or stressful thoughts.


Doodle Art
This time I grabbed a canvas and a black Sharpie and began to doodle. I read an article on Canva about how doodling can change your life, it makes you more creative, it keeps your brain from slipping into a default state (which when I am down...is a state of down-ness. )I was hoping that by focusing on something else it would help clear my head so to speak.

I started with a random shape overlapping on itself. Then I started filling in the shape with some patterns, and some Zentangle patterns I remembered from a class I took.  (You can even see my "nap blankie" in the background of the photos. I was snuggled in for the long haul)

 The whole process was relaxing and did give my brain a much needed rest from focusing on missing my mom to focusing on what I was creating.


Transforming the doodle...Transforming my mind
When I was done with the doodling I started flipping the image around  to see if  I could make anything out of my "doodles" and lo and behold, I realized that I could imagine someone in prayer, hunched up, bowing her head.

The scripture came to mind:

^" Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."- Romans 12:2 NIV

I tried coloring her in to highlight that. Choosing browns to show her hair,  blues for her pants and green for her shirt, red for the arm. I never did color in her hand. It just didn't seem right.  Granted my new Sharipes ran out (one of them came that way and I had to "renew it" with rubbing alcohol which kinda worked for a bit. but you can still see the "scrubbing".)

 

 Regardless, I loved the way she turned out and she is a good reminder of prayer (and creativity) renewing my thoughts and mind so I can be transformed.