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While on route to our picnic at Brownhill Creek reserve on Sunday, Carol and I dropped in to the Waite campus labyrinth for a location recce for our short film "Mandala Magic". I had heard a lot about the labyrinth and wanted to take a look. The labyrinth is an ancient symbol, a mandala whose twists and turns represent the cosmic dance, the universe in microcosm. Walking the circular path that twists and turns back and forth upon itself one is disoriented to the external world and drawn within the the centre of one's being, to the place where we experience wholeness. In other contexts it represents the steps of Shiva Nataraja, the Divine Transformer, Lord of the Dance. It is a symbol found in many disparate cultures throughout the world, from petroglyphs in the Americas, to Egypt and Greece and in many European cathedrals with Chartre Cathedral being a prime example.
The similarities between walking a labyrinth and colouring a mandala are remarkable, calming the mind, mentally stepping through to a subtle realm where the cognitive brain is confused into a state of flow, allowing intuition and creative mindfulness to be revealed and revealing. Carol, Gemma and myself will be recording the sequence this week.
Should you wish to walk the Urrbrae Labyrinth, I have attached directions below.
In the short film, Mandala Magic, we discover how colouring and conversation circles have helped many women who are living in women’s refuges, outreach programs and emergency motel accommodation recover from the shock and trauma of domestic violence. The calm, creative and resourceful state induced by colouring is an antidote to the chaos they have experienced.
Women in crisis have numerous and complex challenges to overcome the injuries inflicted on them, the trauma to their children and the vulnerability of their pets. Many have found sanctuary in colouring and conversation circles and, as a result of the relaxation they experience, are able to plan safer, healthier futures for themselves and their children.
Carol's work has many supporters and the number is growing all the time. Initially it was by people working in the the domestic violence and women's sectors and by those who experienced her work directly. Since the publication of her book, "Big Girls Little Coloring Book" more people and agencies have become aware of Carol's work and recognise its value. Firstly, because a creative approach can be powerful, especially when women are experiencing cognitive overload. No prior knowledge is needed and the creative process is intrinsically calming. When mandalas are introduced to women in crisis it has an ordering process, the pattern recognition function of the brain kicks in and decision making becomes much more straight forward. Those who most strongly advocate Carol's work have experienced it directly either with clients of their service or their staff team or both.
I am approaching people familiar with Carol's work to participate in making Mandala Magic so that other people can hear about it from those who have direct experience. Each time we take a box of books supplied through the crowd funding Big Girls On The Move campaign to a new service the response is overwhelming and reaches into new networks and services. Mandala Magic is a short film and there will be a lot of material that I will record that will not make the cut. That does not mean that the unused footage will end up on the cutting room floor, so to speak, but rather it will be repurposed and made available at the online hub for people to watch and gain a fuller appreciation of how colouring mandalas is a simple but highly impactful approach to address post traumatic stress for those who have experienced domestic violence.
Keep in mind that it isn't just in domestic violence that the Mandala colouring approach is effective for relieving stress and providing a base for women to rebuild their lives through the colouring and conversation circles. Take for example the monthly Meetups at the Box Factory in Adelaide. This is an open group that all women can join and meet others who have most likely experienced something similar to you and have found a pathway to share.
Big Girls On The Move crowdfunding campaign is well under way with the second box of the Big Girls Little Colouring Books delivered yesterday. Carol and I visited the Inner Southern Homelessness Service in Marion and met with the team. I took the opportunity to film the event for YouTube and document this innovative approach to supporting women in crisis with a powerful tool for relaxation and stress relief. The crowdfunding campaign raises money to buy colouring books for women's shelters and services.
Leaving domestic violence is a monumental task for many women. They are able to self refer to a service such as the Inner Southern Homelessness Service and very often the first step will be finding motel accommodation as a temporary measure. Click through to the YouTube video for a fuller story.
It was inspiring for me to meet the team, a dynamic group of people committed to supporting women in crisis. There are more services requesting books and we look forward to working through the crowdfunding campaign to provide them.
Carol uses mandala colouring in her women's colouring and conversation circles and the effectiveness of this approach speaks for itself. She also offers training in how to get them most out of using the books. She says that it is effective becauses it creates a supportive environment amongst women who have had similar experiences and helps connect with the "wise older woman within" to create a better life.
For my part, I concentrate on supporting the campaign with video and social media. We also have a film called, "Mandala Magic" in production that documents the benefits of colouring for women who are making big decisions and monumental changes for themselves and their children.
We are extremely grateful for the generosity shown by all our contributors. You can find out more about the crowdfunding campaign and join the initiative at Go Fund Me.
