Meditation, Art and Brainpower

What does meditation have to do with art and brainpower? I'll get to that in a moment. First, I have to tell you about a simple meditation you can try. I think you'll enjoy the experience.

Find a quiet place with nice scenery. Maybe an isolated corner of a park, a spot on the roof of a building, or anywhere you can enjoy the view. Stand there and take a good look at the scene in front of you.

Now close your eyes, let the tension drain from your muscles as much as possible, and breath deeply through your nose. Then let your breathing fall into a comfortable rhythm. Pay attention only to your breath. When your mind wanders, just bring it back to your breath. This gets easier the more you do it.

After five or fifteen minutes, when your mind has quieted, open your eyes. Look around without words going through your mind. All is the same, and yet it looks different. The colors may even seem more vibrant. It is an experience you probably won't be able to easily describe or explain.

Art and Brainpower

What is happening is that you're seeing with "new" eyes, because your mind is quiet. Normally, your thoughts affect how you see. In fact, this is why many people have problems drawing or painting. For example, even when a photo of someone's face is right in front of you, you may draw what you think the face looks like, instead of what is actually there.

This is why good art instructors will have you turn the photo upside down, and then draw the face. This technique interrupts your normal mental interpretation of the face, and leaves you with nothing to do but draw the lines the way they are. If you try this technique, you'll be surprised by how much more accurate a drawing done this way is.

Brainpower and Meditation

What about brainpower and meditation? This "clearing" of the mind that meditating gives you allows you to break out of your habitual patterns of thinking and see things in a new way. Try meditating before working on a creative problem - or a personal problem. You may get better ideas.