Meditative Practice through Sketching


There are countless scientific research studies which indicate the benefits of practicing mindfulness regularly. It could help improve our well-being in various aspects such as reducing stress and anxiety, expanding our concentration span and ability to focus,  being calmer and many more. Practicing mindfulness can occur through various forms such as meditating in the conventional method. For people who like to draw and sketch, routinely practice sketching could be an alternative form of practicing mindfulness.

Steven Holl, a well-respected architect, uses his water color painting as a morning routine for his meditative practice in his apartment in New York.  He starts his day by simply sitting down and beginning his contemplation via water color. Sketching and drawing does not require much or involve complicated tools. It only requires ourselves, a pencil and a piece of paper or a notebook. It can be a quality moment of our day. I normally practice sketching as a tool to explore the inner part of me. While drawing, I have no expectations, no goals; I simply pick up a pencil and begin to draw without knowing what the drawing is for. I see positive outcomes from this practice particularly in the contemporary moment in which we are constantly being bombarded by extreme information overload in our environment through emails,  websites, various devices, etc. It allows me to slow down and literally be there with only myself.  Over time, my sketching skills have become a vehicle for my architectural design thinking and exploration. It has become an integral part of me.

If you like sketching or drawing, try it and see how you feel.