”We grow where we are planted”

MINDFUL MANDART MOMENTS continue with this episode of self care that brings the meditative practice to the forefront.

This instalment was inspired by a trio called “BLOOM” that were introduced in Episode 14 on the Podcast. The meditation in this Mindful Mandart Moment is a guided meditation that inspires us to visualize the conditions we personally need to bloom, flourish and thrive.

In the snap shot above I was heading towards a favourite Australian Beach on The South Coast. It’s one of those places that brings me back to myself, that allows me to exhale, to pause and to reflect. While visiting family overseas I am taking the opportunity to refill my creative vessel. Creativity has long been my road to presence as are places and spaces that resonate for us personally. This one, for me, brings with it, the comfort of memory.

Agapanthus, Sydney 2022.
These tall girls bloom on top of elongated stems in rows and clusters. They are very hardy in the landscape I grew up in and remind me of my sisters circle garden at the farm, once overseen by “Rosie”. They definitely grow wherever they are planted.

With this short meditation we continue the journey to connect to our world, to experience where we are, wherever we are. Together we are reminded we grow where we are planted within the context of the choices we are free to make.

“Sisterhood : Middle Child”, Detail Acrylic on Panel 18” x 24”, 2022
Shapes bloom into floral references all the time on my painting wall. None are intended to be representational in the traditional sense but that doesn’t stop them from self seeding in acrylic. In colour they bloom and grow..

What’s a Mandart?

For my regular listeners thank you for joining me. Your continued support means the world to me. If you are new to the podcast, the Mandart is a personal reference. The Mand of Mandart is a contraction of my very long name, and Art is what I do and have done since 2001. I am a soul practitioner operating a visual arts practice in Winnipeg, in the middle of Canada. And now, a podcast host making connections through art and life.

Mindful Moments are designed to bring us back to the present. Creativity has always been my avenue to presence whether I am painting or creating with textiles. Detail; above from “Composition” 2020

What is a Mindful Mandart Moment?

MINDFUL MANDART MOMENTS will be appearing in episodes 34-44 on the podcast. The meditations that usually pair with the back stories of studio practice are coming to the foreground in this series to be the focus.

The meditations I share are really moments of self-care designed to help us to pause and to be present, to make ourselves available to the creative magic all around us through the action of slowing down.

Detail from “CHILD’S PLAY” Rhyme: Resonance. 20” x 20” dye sublimated poly satin, painting, machine and hand stitching, mounted on panel.
This detail comes from one of the 16 panels that belong to a body of work called “COMPOSITION” that I exhibited in St Boniface in 2020. I am sharing some of the details with this episode because the process for me was all about personal growth and allowing an idea to bloom.
This detail highlights one of the incidental blooms I found in my painterly marks that were enhanced with stitch. Hand work allowed me to slow down.

Why be mindful?

Mindfulness has become a mainstream term in recent years. The practice of paying attention is what I like to call it. By being mindful we can help ourselves to feel centred and it can also help us to self-regulate our emotional responses, to balance stress and anxiety. And that its a great skill to foster in our busy world.

While I am away in my original landscape filling my cup with inspiration I wanted to keep our mindful rhythm flowing. I thought a weekly dose of mindfulness might help us all to pause when too much of anything gets to be too much.

This Stargazer Lilly bloomed in my front yard last summer. This is the same species as the bloom that blew my mind during the first summer I spent in Canada. I was awed by the size, resilience and fragrance of this amazing bulb that I had previously thought could only be artificial.

In this episode…

This episode might be a short few minutes of reflection within our meditative practice but the question it poses is definitely worth some thoughtful consideration within the context of the choices we personally make. I hope the practice inspires your personal practice and encourages you to grow.

“What conditions do you need to bloom?”

I came across these magnificent blooms outside “Sydney Modern’. “Flowers that bloom in the Cosmos” by Yahoo Kusama, stainless steel and polyurethane paint. Commissioned for the Sydney Modern Project
The end of her artist statement reads…” I want to share this passion with you. Let us rejoice together, shouting out thanks to my flowers forever, from earth with all my heart.” These dynamic flowers are definitely blooming where they are planted.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode on the player inset above or anywhere you listen to your podcasts. Time is valuable and I really appreciate you spending some of your time with me. I hope you are complimenting your own meditative practice by joining in with my examples.

Please feel free to Invite a friend to join in for this weekly self care project if something within it resonates for you. It’s free and every comment or recommendation is helpful to the growth of this project.

Getting inspired at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney while taking in the Do Ho Suh Exhibition

I hope you’ll return to WISDOM AT THE CROSSROADS PODCAST often to pause and reflect on your personal journey toward mindfulness. Together we’ll seek wisdom at the crossroads where action and presence meet.

Apple Trailer - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-at-the-crossroads-trailer/id1609992256?i=1000551067035

MINDFUL MANDART MOMENTS... "Growth"

WISDOM AT THE CROSSROADS PODCAST.

Amanda Onchulenko