Abstraction has a way of slipping past the busy, verbal parts of our brains. Without recognizable imagery tying us to a particular story, we’re free to experience color, shape, and movement on a more instinctive level. In that quiet space, visual meditation can happen — naturally, almost effortlessly.
Whether you’re sitting in front of an abstract painting, or making one yourself, abstraction offers a way to pause the noise of daily life and simply be.
Here’s how you can practice visual meditation through abstraction, both as a viewer and as a creator:
1. As a viewer:
• Find a piece that speaks to you: Visit a gallery, scroll online, or even look around your home. Let your eyes rest on something abstract — no pressure to understand it.
• Set a timer: Start small. Five minutes is plenty. Gaze at the artwork without trying to "figure it out." Notice colors, textures, patterns.
• Breathe with the artwork: As you look, match your breathing to the rhythm you feel from the painting. Is it busy? Calm? Let your breath follow.
• Let thoughts drift: If your mind wanders, that's okay. Gently return your focus to what you're seeing. Treat the painting like an anchor.
• Notice how you feel: Afterward, check in with yourself. Are you calmer? Energized? There's no right or wrong — it's simply an experience.
2. As a creator:
• Gather simple materials: Acrylic paints, a few brushes, paper or canvas — nothing fancy. Even a notebook will do.
• Pick a starting point: A color you’re drawn to today. A texture you feel curious about. Let that be your guide.
• Work without a plan: Try to let go of outcomes. Allow your hand to move intuitively, without judgment.
• Layer and respond: Put down a shape, then react to it with another. Think of it like a conversation between you and the page.
• Pause and reflect: After a session, take a step back. Observe without critiquing. What emotions surface when you look at your work?
Sometimes, painting looks like moving brushes and bold color — but often, it’s a quiet process of standing back, thinking, and waiting for the next move to feel right. It might seem like paintings come together quickly, but in reality, there’s a lot of slow, deliberate thought poured into each piece.
Visual meditation through abstraction isn’t about making "good art" or interpreting something perfectly. It’s about creating a moment of mindfulness — a breath between all the busyness.
The more you practice, the more natural it becomes. And who knows? You might find that these quiet moments of looking or creating start weaving themselves into the rest of your life.