Creative Mindfulness Art Activity: Bright Words Mandala

The following activity was in anticipation of Green Foothills’ annual celebration Nature’s Inspiration honoring Valentin Lopez, Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band since 2003 and President of the Amah Mutsun Land Trust. He is leading the fight to stop the proposed sand and gravel mine at Juristac in Santa Clara County, which is one of the tribe’s most sacred sites and a major wildlife corridor.

Even though the event has passed we encourage you to still join us in creating a piece of art. A bright words mandala is a form of art, healing, and meditation. Your “bright words” can be a phrase that elicits a sense of compassion that you would like to reflect on and settle into. Your mandalas are like offerings of intention to manifest compassion, celebration, and healing for when we come together virtually for Nature’s Inspiration. Watch this video and print this template or grab a blank sheet of paper, pens, marks, crayons, or pencils. Nature’s Inspiration honoree, Amah Mutsun Chairman Lopez offers for your Bright Words statement, “We have a responsibility to honor our ancestors and to fulfill our obligation to Creator.” Then starting from the center of your page, write this phrase over and over and over again. The experience for everyone doing this activity is different, but many find themselves in a state of deep peace with a sense of interconnection with community. We can’t be together in person this year but this art project will help us come together as a community in spirit.

Gratitude to Amah Mutsun Chairman Lopez for joining us for this pre-recording and to Smita Garg, Karen Altree Piemme, PJ Hirabayashi, Pear Urushima and everyone with Creatives for Compassionate Communities for bringing our community this activity. From a place of empathy, life experience, and desire to be a catalyst for change, the Creatives for Compassionate Communities seeks to engage the local community by merging spirituality, art, and creativity into immersive, life-energizing experiences.

Did you or a family member make a piece you wouldn’t mind sharing? Please email it to [email protected]. We hope to share your artwork with our larger community or just see it ourselves. If you do send us your work, let us know if you’d prefer we not share it or if you’d like us to keep it anonymous if we do share it.