DeStress Monday at School
Mindful Drawing
Practice mindful drawing on your own.
Lead your class in a mindful drawing activity.
For Teachers
Mindful drawing helps us focus attention on something other than our to-do lists, thoughts, and plans. It can help us concentrate on new sights and sensations. You don’t need to plan anything before you start, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake. Your drawing is not supposed to look or be a certain way, and there is no need to judge it. All you need to do is to focus on your paper and your crayon or marker, and let the drawing happen. You might find this relaxing.
This practice involves drawing with your non-dominant hand. This will help slow you down and really notice the experience of drawing. It is also a great way to practice letting go of judging yourself! So if you normally write with your right hand, you’ll be using your left hand. If you normally write with your left hand, you’ll be using your right hand.
Feel free to print and use this template page with a simple circle in the center. Use the circle however you like in your drawing – you can draw inside it or outside it or both, you can use the circle as part of your drawing, it’s up to you. Find crayons, markers, or colored pencils you would like to use for this activity. You can use as many colors as you would like.
To start, make sure your feet are touching the floor, and you are sitting with dignity in your chair. Take a few breaths. Now, choose what crayon or marker you will start with. Just notice what you chose to draw with – how heavy it is, how your hand feels holding it, what color it is. Notice the paper – its shape, size, texture.
Now begin to draw, letting the drawing happen, and keeping an open mind. Your drawing does not need to be realistic; you may want to try just making shapes, lines, or patterns. Explore how it feels to make lines on the paper. It may feel strange or awkward to draw with this hand. That’s OK.
You may notice that you have thoughts or judgments about what the drawing should look like or how “good” it is. Just notice those thoughts and bring your attention back to drawing.
Draw for as long as you would like, and then take a moment to notice how you feel.
Note: If you enjoyed this practice or like to doodle, you may want to check out the Zentangle® Method.
For the Classroom
You may want to pass out pieces of paper that have a single circle on them for students to use during this practice. You can print out these pages from our website here. The circle may help shape how students approach the drawing activity. Pass out crayons or markers for students to draw with. Students can use as many colors as they like. Tell your class:
Mindful drawing is a fun way to make art. You don’t need to plan anything before you start, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake. Your drawing is not supposed to look or be a certain way, and there is no need to judge it. All you need to do is to focus on your paper and your crayon or marker, and let the drawing happen.
Today we’re going to practice drawing with our non-dominant hands. This may help slow you down, let go of judging your drawings, and really notice the experience of drawing. So if you normally write with your right hand, you’ll be using your left hand. If you normally write with your left hand, you’ll be using your right hand.
We’re also going to use these pieces of paper with a circle on them. You can use the circle however you like in your drawing – you can draw inside it or outside it or both, you can use the circle as part of your drawing, it’s up to you.
To start, make sure your feet are touching the floor, and you are sitting with dignity in your chair. Take a few breaths. Now, choose what crayon or marker you will start with. Just notice what you chose to draw with – how heavy it is, how your hand feels holding it, what color it is. Notice the paper – its shape, size, texture.
Now begin to draw, letting the drawing happen, and keeping an open mind. Your drawing does not need to be realistic; you may want to try just making shapes, lines, or patterns. Explore how it feels to make lines on the paper. It may feel strange or awkward to draw with this hand. That’s OK.
You may notice that you have thoughts or judgments about what the drawing should look like or how “good” it is. Just notice those thoughts and bring your attention back to drawing.
You can explore with students what their experiences of mindful drawing were like after they practice. Allow students to share what it felt like for them and how it was different from the way they might normally draw or doodle; explore with them whether they found themselves paying attention in a different way.
Full Curriculum
See the full DeStress Monday at School Curriculum