Idyllwild Earth Fair

Hello Creatives!

Saturday's Idyllwild Earth Fair was the best year ever! The event was overflowing with a variety of vendors, booths and friendly visitors who all love and celebrate the earth. Always one of my favorite events, this year was indeed the busiest!

The Nature Coach (me!) was there with a booth, inviting people in for a little creative break with my Tree Mandala exercise. We were busy with activity, chatting with old friends and new friends, and of course a little creative play with many participants throughout the day! I was especially happy to meet two fellow Let Nature Be Your Muse MeetUp members, Michele and Jenny (and families)! Thank you both for stopping by and introducing yourselves--it was a pleasure to meet you!

I had a great time meeting people and enjoying their personal tree mandala creations! We received wonderful feedback from everyone who took a creative break with us, including a few participants who shared some very heartfelt and kind words about creating their mandalas...it was a very inspiring day for me to be in the company of so many creative souls willing to try something a little different! Thank you all :)

A little about the Tree Mandala exercise: “Mandala” is Sanskrit for circle. Traditional meanings of mandalas vary by culture, although many share a common belief in its significance as a spiritual or ritual expression. Mandalas are also used for meditations, establishing a sacred space.

Mandalas are filled with symbolic art. They are sometimes used as a teaching tool depicting stories, events, the cosmos, even our perspective of the universe, through detailed symbols and designs. Jungian psychology view mandalas as a symbol for connecting with the self.

Participants were asked to choose a tree cookie and draw a symbolic design of their own that tells a story, perhaps their story for that day. They were to reflect on how their creative process during this exercise could shape the outcome of their own personal, creative goals. For example:

Were they easily distracted?
Did they get into a creative zone?
Was this something they'd ever done before?
Did they experience a relaxed state of mind, or something else?
Did they plan out a design first, or jump in drawing to see what emerged?
What was their agenda?

What do these questions reveal about your creative process, and ultimately reaching your goals?