August 2010 – The Wishing Well

Download the August 2010 Mandala of the Month

“What is it you want, Mary?

You, you want the moon?

Hey, that’s a pretty good idea.  I’ll give you the moon, Mary.” *

Welcome to The Wishing Well where you can make your dreams come true.

Here’s how it works:

A Caveat or Two…

• This is to be something you want for yourself.  Because of free will and all that, wanting to make someone be or do something is a total waste of energy and an invasion of someone else’s life.
• Rather than wanting money, focus on what it is you want to buy or have (a new car, travel to exotic lands, pay off debts, etc.)
• Focus on the positive rather than the negative (ie:  “I want to live in a quiet neighborhood”  versus “I don’t want to live next to noisy/loud people anymore”;  “I want to fit into a size _  dress” or “I want to be healthy and physically active”  versus “I don’t want to be fat anymore”)
• You’re on the honor system here…do your best to want something that is in your best interest and for the highest good of all 🙂

One of My Examples Using the Five Steps:

1. I want an art studio I can easily afford where I can paint and create my art in a serene setting with all the supplies, tools, furniture, and utilities I need to be successful in every way.  This easily accessible studio space allows me to be messy as well as being well-organized, beautiful with lots of natural light, and roomy enough to create very large pieces, have at least 3 or 4 open studio events a year and offer at least 4 or 5 workshops a year.
2. Currently I am working out of my home, which I’m very grateful to be able to do at this time.  My husband is very gracious in allowing me to use our dining room area and patio to work on my projects.  A dedicated studio space would give me the space, privacy and freedom to create more art without the normal day-to-day household activities slowing my progress.
3. While I’m open to any possibility of how my studio can look, I do have a vision in my mind of how it could look as well as visualizing myself actively creating in this studio and of how it would feel to be in this studio.  (as soon as I create my vision board for this goal, I’ll post a photo)
4. Some of the mental/emotional naysaying:  you can’t afford it, it takes money to make something like this happen, such a place doesn’t exist around here, etc.  To resolve these and other objections, I’m going to spend some time negotiating with that part of myself that objects.  Find ways to turn the objections into positive reinforcements.
5. Some of the things I can do towards making this happen can include:  organize the supplies and tools I already have; create a vision board for this, determine how much space I really need; determine what features I’d need in the studio, kind my eyes and ears open to possible outside-the-box studio opportunities; talk with other artists who have studios or who are looking for a studio for ideas, go online to view other artist studios.

Okay now it’s your turn!

joyfully, Maureen, The Mandala Lady

I would love to see your colorings…Upload them to Flickr at  http://www.flickr.com/groups/mandalas/

* from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”

** from the movie “Working Girl“