Why I keep drawing mandalas.

I discovered drawing mandalas by accident. While playing with software tools, I doodled something that made my eyes go WOW and my hands do happy flaps.

I shared it with some friends, and the positive feedback carried me through drawing several mandala books.

Here I am years later, with shelves full of books, and I still draw mandalas almost every day. (And the days that I don't, it's because I'm super ill.)

I've been asked how I do it, and where the ideas come from. I've even asked myself why I do it.

The answer is simple: I don't get tired of discovering details.

It only takes adding a few shapes to a page before I start seeing the beauty of the mandala.

I love the moment when a page that started as a few lines grows into something intricate and unexpected.

I love watching patterns emerge.

I love finding little pockets of symmetry hiding inside larger designs.

And I love coloring them.

To me, coloring mandalas feels different from coloring scenes. There isn't a right way to color them. There isn't a sky that must be blue or a tree that must be green. I can simply pick colors and see what happens.

Some days I color carefully and thoughtfully. Some days I throw every bright marker I own at the page. Both work.

Mandalas have become part of my life as an artist, a colorist, and even part of my home decor. They challenge me when I'm drawing and help me slow down my thoughts when I'm coloring.

If you're curious about my mandala books, you can browse the collection here.