Artful Contemplation is the daily practice of mindfulness through the contemplation of visionary, intuitive and non-objective art.

Mindfulness is about cultivating an awareness and appreciation of the here and now, of the richness of your present experience.

The South African College of Applied Psychology, blog, 2018

Mindfulness is a contemporary term for an ancient practice. There are many approaches to mindfulness, and it is possible to practice more than one approach.

Artful Contemplation brings awareness, realization and integration through focused attention on a single inspirational image. 

With the assistance of our digital art downloads and collectible art card deck, Artful Contemplation is readily accessible as a prompt for mindfulness that can be practiced throughout the day in your ordinary home, work or social environments.

In this way, Artful Contemplation integrates seamlessly with the rhythms of your daily activities.

As a daily mindfulness practice, Artful Contemplation will assist you to:

• Achieve non-judgmental perception.

• Increase your confidence in using your intuition. 

• Deepen your personal insights.

• Provoke transcendental realizations.

How does Artful Contemplation work?

1. Click on any of our Daily Artful Contemplation posts. A new intuitive artwork is created and uploaded everyday for your daily mindfulness practice. The artwork speaks in a language other than that of words, signs and icons. Immerse yourself in its metascape for in-depth contemplation and personal realization. Meta-, from the Greek meta– μετά- meaning “after” or “beyond”, describes how our artworks point to dimensions that lie beyond ordinary reality.

2. Settle down. Settle in. Breathe. Observe what arises without censorship.

3. Perhaps certain sounds or smells get activated. You might experience strong feelings or memory flashes. If you prefer to make sense of things through words, then jot down any phrases that come to mind. Or if you are more visually inclined, doodle and sketch these initial impressions.

3. Don’t concern yourself with writing full sentences – and it doesn’t matter if you don’t believe you draw well…these first responses are for your eyes only and simply part of the process of moving past your first uprisings towards deepened contemplation. If you find yourself getting caught up in huge concepts and complex narratives, return to point 2. Breathe. Settle down. Settle in.

4. Keep training your attention on the artwork. Observe what arises and simply acknowledge what unfolds. Practice feeling with your eyes. Immerse yourself in the colors of the metascape. Feel the music that arises as you move along the rhythmic contours of the metascape.

5. There is no goal or outcome to your Artful Contemplation. There is no right or absolute interpretation of the artwork. In fact, your full engagement is far more beneficial than ‘correct interpretation’. You don’t even need to like the image. Give yourself permission to observe your observing. If you notice any tension or anxiety creeping in, return to point 2. Breathe. Settle down. Settle in.

No artwork is complete without a recipient. The artwork is a gesture from the artist. The viewer completes the movement with a reciprocal gesture.

INTUITIVE ARTIST, LANON CARL PRIGGE, 2019

Our need for stillness, silence and personal sanctuary increases in proportion to the speed, intensity and sociability of our lives.

Like any mindfulness practice, Artful Contemplation offers the opportunity to slow down, settle in, pay attention and appreciate. Artful Contemplation uses the same digital technology that tends to overstimulate and speed us up, to settle and slow us down. 

Our exposure to technological innovations and diverse forms of sacred art gives artists at the dawn of the twenty-first century a unique opportunity to create more integrative and universal spiritual art than ever before.

Visionary artist, Alex Grey

Did you find your first experience of Artful Contemplation beneficial?

Extend the benefits of Artful Contemplation in 1 of 3 ways: