Peaceful Patterns 2: white on black (LIVE)

6 Week E-Course with Lucy H. Pearce

We are excited to introduce a new semester in the Creative Sanctuary. 

The Course consists of:

• An introductory video emailed to you before the course starts.
• 6 x 75min live sessions via Zoom (plus recordings).
• Dedicated Facebook group – Creative Sanctuary.
• Weekly PDFs of the patterns for guidance.
• Spotify playlist of music to draw to.
• Supplementary book list.

This course is one of the best things I've ever taken part in. The workshops themselves have been a lovely way to spend an evening, and I've always felt completely at ease during them. They've been wonderfully nurturing, and have taught me something beautifully calming that I can do for the rest of my life.
Thank you ♥
Ruth Elliott-Booth (IG: uncannymoonchild)

Semester 2: Peaceful Patterns – white on black

This semester will be focused on meditative pattern drawing in white on black to calm the mind and inspire the soul. Each week we will focus on a couple of nature forms… We take this simple form…and create complex beauty with it.

All you need for the course are white pens and black paper. (On sign up I provide a list of art material recommendations for you…and if you can’t get hold of white pens or black paper, you can, of course, draw the patterns in black pen on white paper.)

For students who have taken the original Peaceful Patterns course this is a natural progression. But the course is open to everyone from complete beginner to experienced artist, and clear guidance and methods will be given to ensure the classes are accessible whatever your level of experience.

Live classes are on Tuesdays 7pm (UK time) and recordings are sent out the next day. You have lifetime access to them.

• Week 1: September 3 – Seeds and Bubbles
• Week 2: September 17 – Moss and Lichen
• Week 3: October 1 – Leaves and Flowers
• Week 4: October 15 – Coastline
• Week 5: October 29 – Flow
• Week 6: November 12 – Abstract

Getting out of my eternal headspace and into more of me, this art allows me the opportunity of accessing the Multiverse from the comfort of my own nest.

A.S.

How the Course Works

As well as being a visual artist, Lucy is a Cambridge university trained teacher, and the Live Classes are a great way to really feel part of the creative community you are working alongside. She starts each class with an overview of what you will be learning using Powerpoint – great if you’re a visual learner. She then moves onto a short meditation and then you learn each pattern and its variations. You can ask questions and share your work. We usually finish each session with some quiet side-by-side drawing time.

You then have access to both the class recordings and PDFs of the patterns to practice in your own time between classes and after the course finishes.

There are 2 weeks between classes – as requested by students – to give you time to practice the patterns and catch up if you are busy.

The Facebook group is a great place to meet like-minded people, share your work, inspire each other and ask Lucy questions.

Peaceful Patterns

Peaceful Patterns are a creative form of meditation in pen, which repattern our neural connections as we create beautiful designs on paper. The sessions combine mindfulness with simple, repetitive drawing activities to calm and centre us. Drawing this way promotes a trancelike meditative state, boosted self-esteem, joy and empowerment. Whether you’re an experienced artist, meditator, or have no previous experience in either, this practice is for you, especially if you struggle with getting bored during traditional meditation, or often find yourself at a loss knowing what you want to create.

Each class Lucy shares the seed of one of these patterns, which, when initially seen, can seem overwhelming in their complexity. We will explore where and how these patterns appear in art and nature, as well as their spiritual and energetic properties. Then, after a gentle grounding exercise, she takes you step by step through the week’s technique, then we draw together. She provides differentiated content for different levels of artistic experience: from absolute beginners to professional creatives, you will learn (and discover) ways to expand your patterns further.

In Peaceful Patterns we allow the image to emerge through the creative process, shape by shape, rather than needing to plan the image in advance, or wait for inspiration to strike. This gives you the opportunity to draw – any time, anywhere – even when you feel you don’t have any ideas.

Whilst the focus is on the creative process, an attractive final product encourages us to repeat the process and boosts self-esteem, giving us the feeling of "I did that". Whatever your starting level, this course builds artistic skill, sharing technique, to improve your drawing, shading and pattern-making abilities, giving real transferable skills.

NeuroCalm

Similarly to meditation, art can help us tap into a deeper and more quiet part of ourselves.

We enter into a state of flow and present-moment awareness.

Washington Post

Says Lucy: "I have come to call the experience created by Peaceful Patterns, NeuroCalm.

"As a neurodivergent woman, I struggle with managing vast waves of anxiety. Drawing is one of the best ways I have discovered to calm my anxiety, it focuses my mind, whilst allowing me to breathe more deeply, regulating my nervous system in an activity that can be done in most places and times. Hours can go by as I draw, at times where I am otherwise struggling to get through minutes. As a result, I am creating at times when I would otherwise be too anxious to focus on anything.

"Over the years I have enjoyed various drawing techniques including Zentangles, Neurographica, mandalas, intuitive doodling, and what I have learned from many women artists’ books. This course borrows from these practices and develops on them.

"I bookend my day with these Peaceful Patterns, doing them on calls, in waiting rooms, on planes and when too anxious or stuck to function. Done whilst listening to nourishing music or a podcast on my headphones, I get a real break from my thoughts, feelings of overwhelm. They are a fabulous antidote to scrolling through social media or games on the phone. I have immersed myself in black and white drawings the last couple of years, seeking out soothing forms based on natural structures.

"Over time I have discovered that these Peaceful Patterns have a second calming effect: looking back over them gives me both a sense of achievement, but also relaxing me, allowing me to breathe more deeply, as my eyes follow their twists and turns, in what autistic folk call 'visual stimming'."

According to a study published in The Arts in Psychology, coloring, doodling, or free drawing results in significant activation of the medial prefrontal cortex and triggers the release of dopamine that helps you de-stress and boosts your mood, and feel more creative and better able to solve problems.

Some clinical implications include: the recognition that art-making evokes reward pathways, that even short spans of artistic activity can improve self perceptions of creative abilities, and, art-making could be a way to regulate mood, addictive behaviors and evoke a sense of pleasure.

Jeff Haden, Inc.com

Benefits of Peaceful Patterns

This form of creativity is deeply healing to the overwhelmed and are balm for you if you are burned out, stressed, anxious, depressed or frantic.

• They improve focus and mood, calm the bodymind, improve hand eye coordination and give the thinking mind a rest.
• Peaceful Patterns help us experience the beneficial psychological state of flow.
• They offer the opportunity to draw when you don’t have any ideas.

This process feels so deep and yet happens so quickly. Love it! Thank you, Lucy.

C.L.

I loved it! I felt like a giddy kid back in primary school and a student back at uni. I honestly couldn't stop once I got started. My obsessive mind is very happy 🙂 I was impressed with the quality of the lesson. I knew it was going to be well done but this really felt like a university course. Thank you Lucy.
Katia Wallace @theearthkeepersway