Our attention in the world of daily concerns leaves us feeling lopsided because our actions and awareness face only one routine and worn out direction. The quiet and more subtle parts of our awareness remains unnourished and starved. The balance for our noisy, repetitive and hasty lives is in engaging our attention with actions that quiet the mind naturally.
Concentrating on a creative task slows down the breath, the heart and our thought process. Arts and crafts are natural avenues for cultivating silence, an inner silence that is needed to balance our modern urban living.
In the six years of art and craft related schools I attended, I felt a physical and emotional balance among the students and teachers, a sense of well-being. The quiet sketching classes were hours of meditation in action. We were all excited about each day and the creativity to explore. Most of us did well in our academic classes as well.
In general when people want to “chill out” it always involves some type of screen in their face which does everything but slowing down their thought process. When the eyes are watching your hands performing creatively, the mind relaxes and thoughts are suspended.
So in this New Moon phase( a time for planning and getting started) renew the fervor you once had for a craft or an artistic endeavor. Relegate 15-30 minutes (for starters) of your personal time for hands on creativity. Your sleep will become more peaceful as you will find more and more creativity in your dreams! Next -Making the best use of “Rit” dye and the direct application method.