I draw a curvy line of a vine with a complete focus. The end of the swirly vine yields to the beginning of a new one. I repeat the process of ending and beginning the lines in silence. The vine increasingly depends on each other to extend and reach toward the upper edge of the drawing paper.
I’m absorbed in drawing basic henna designs. I’m not a visual artist. My art is a mindful practice rather than an artistic pursuit. When I practice Japanese calligraphy with a brush and black ink, each stroke becomes a short statement of who I am at the moment. My hundred calligraphy strokes reflect a hundred states of my mind.
It is the same with the henna design drawing. Using a pencil and erasing mistakes or unsatisfactory lines is not part of my mindful art practice. A trembled stroke. A line too long, short, or curvy. Any imperfection that appears in my drawing is a part of me. Instead of correcting it, I embrace it, incorporate it into my artwork, and move on with more attention and commitment.
I aim to stay in the present. No regret or judgment about the lines already drawn. No anticipation for the new one. Every line is a chance meeting between my intention and the act of drawing. I cherish the one-time meeting at this moment and greet the next one with openness and humility.
I look at my finished swirly vine. I see in the drawing me growing while incorporating all my emotions, relationships, and experiences. I visualize infinite number of vines growing taller as they depend on and support each other.
This is how I grow and we thrive together.
"We have only now, only this single eternal moment opening and unfolding before us, day and night.” –Jack Kornfield
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