Meditative Painting

Art, Meditation and Intention Cards

My art-making process has typically been about expanding and exploring a particular idea with the audience in mind, essentially a visual conversation.

In 2014, that changed for me during a two month painting retreat. I shifted from working through a particular narrative to simply being present and engaging the painting. I dropped the dramatic story.

This shift happened after more than a decade of intense meditation practices and energetic training. My focus shifted to cultivating a conversation with my intuition, letting myself be led into the unknown.

During my artist retreat, I brought that meditation practice into the art studio, where the act of painting essentially became a moving meditative process with clear guidance from my silent inner voice.

Fluid, connected, effortless. Joyful.

Doing this outside of a sitting meditation practice would have a powerful effect on my life, although I wouldn't realize it until much later.

After using this technique in the studio, the practice started to become second nature. For me, this new way of painting led to a new way of being. I was building and cultivating a habit that carried over into my life outside of the studio. It became easier to let go and get into my creative flow. It became a way to exercise my meditative muscles outside of my sitting meditation practice. From sitting meditation practice, to a dynamic meditation practice, to life. I caught a glimpse of liberation out of the corner of my eye. Freedom. I had no idea it was there!

Thoughts come and go, as I hold a loose focus on what I’m doing, listening for what's next. Letting myself be guided by my intuition rather than distracted by my inner critic. Blissful.

This experience, and the results, were dramatically different for me.

(Previously, my work was very narrative, humorous and a bit dark.)

Using the abstract paintings created during my retreat, I designed a set of intention cards as a beta deck.

Would they work?

Did they resonate with me?

Would other people like them?

I tested, tweaked and adjusted for months, until I loved them.

Then, I got some feedback from my tribe.

The result is a set of fifty-four cards that comfortably fit in the palm of your hand. Each features a meditative painting coupled with an aspirational state.

Bright colors and loose brush strokes represent the unseen, yet felt and known. One inspired word printed below in a classic typewriter font; certain, clear, in black and white.

Designed to increase emotional intelligence and self-awareness.

Repeated use may result in happiness for no apparent reason.