Comfortable Shoes Studio

Squaring the Circle

One of the things I've been pondering is the following question:

"Do mandala's have to be circular?"

I keep arriving at no as an answer.

Last night on the train I did my usual relaxing automatic drawing. I started the hatching, realizing I was making 7 marks over and over again. I went with it and slapped a 7 on the head of the skull. I suspect most of you won't like the video, but the Pixies are a favorite band of mine and I must've listened to this song a million times when I was in high school.

 

 

When I got home I couldn't focus on the hatching in the background. Too distracted, too amped up by class and the presentation we had and the papers I have due.

I couldn't let it go.
This morning when I got up I was able to focus on the hatching and feel relaxed while doing it. Mindful. feeling the pen on the paper, counting to 7 over and over again. Though the Zebra Sarasa is smooth and glides across the paper I could hear it.

scritch scritch scritch

scritch scritch

scritch scritch

The sound of pen on paper is something I enjoy. I don't need music to listen to when I can hear the pen on paper.
I was able to feel the bumps of the paper through the pen as it telegraphed them to my fingers. The rubbery grip of the pen keeping the pen from slipping out of my fingers.

Slowly and carefully I filled in the 5x7 rectangle on my page.

Oh, yeah, what does this have to do with mandalas? I think that a mandala can be square. WHAT WHAT WHAT. A little research shows me that many cultures used square and rectangular shaped for their mandalas. We (Western peoples) know more about the circular mandalas from Jungian psycology and Western practicioners of the art. The circle is mor often used.

School Stuff: How I Use Those Notebooks and Pens

So how do I use my notebooks? I used to take notes on both sides of every page of my notebooks. I did a little research on the Cornell method and attempted it during my summer class but it didn’t fit with my style of note taking and reflection. It really didn’t fit with the composition books I chose. The comp books were simply too small to effectively use the Cornell method. My method uses color coding, post it notes and tabs, codes, and headings.

I take class notes, reflect on my readings, and journal about classes and experientials on the right side page. Any ink color can be used on these pages, but I usually avoid red. Each page gets a “code” in the upper right hand corner to indicate what is on the page:

R= Reading reflections

C= Class notes

J= Journal

G= Group work
E- Experiential

At the top of each page, in the larger line I add a subject line and date. If the class that day is a about CBT Therapy then that is the subject line. If the page is reflections on a reading then the title and author go on the top line of the page. If I’m journaling about an experiential paper, or particular idea then the name of the experiential or idea is indicated on the top “subject” line.

While I’m reading I don’t take notes but highlight. If I think something is of particular importance I will write it down on a post it note or put a tab next to the area in the book. I’ll write in the margins of books I plan to keep or of printed articles. The post it notes are stuck on the right side page opposite of my reading reflection pages. I time my reading reflections to 5 minutes and try to keep the reflection to one or 2 pages. The goal in the reflection is to get down my ideas about the article, any criticism I had, and to get a general idea of the contents. I also make note of what I think the professor is hoping I get out of the reading. This timed method was suggested during a workshop about managing the readings for class, and thus far it has worked really well for me.  I’m not filling up a dozen pages per reading, and I’m not wasting a lot of time focusing on information that is not pertinent to the class.

The left hand page is generally left blank during notes and journaling. If a professor gives out specific information about an assignment, I’ll make note of if on the left side. This acts as a call out. I use the left side to reflect on things that come up during class, experientials, journaling, and readings. These are specifically my ideas and differentiated from journaling that I do on experientials. These can be spontaneous ideas that pop into my head as I read and reflect on articles. These reflections are always done in red ink to differentiate it from any specific info given out by the professor.

If I am going to use a particular page for a paper it gets a blue post it tab. These are removed after the paper is finished. My current page gets a green or yellow post it flag mostly so I can flip to it quickly when I get to class or I need to reflect on a reading.

Occasionally when I have a paper coming up for class I’ll sit down and do a mind map of all the ideas that come up from the questions the professor asks, I will then use the mind map as a launching point for any journaling I do for the paper. The mind map will span the left and right side of the pages.

On the inside front cover of each of these notebooks I’ve made a pocket so I can stuff in any handouts or art made during class. This has been working pretty well so far. Though most of my classes do not have hand outs but a few of the workshops I’ve attended have. The pockets have proved useful.

This is an evolving method. I’d abandoned some things- like highlighting within my notes and simply moving to whatever ink color I’m using that day and red. In some of my notebooks I remembered to leave a page blank at the start, and wish I’d done it for all of them, this will allow me to index the notebook when I shelve it. When I do shelve it I add a label to the spin indicating what class the notebook was for and what dates I used it. The idea is that I’m able to quickly go back to class notes and refer to them as needed. The other really positive thing about this method is that it is cheap. I’m using a 50 cent notebook, a pack of colored post it tabs, some post it notes, and several colors of pens. It could be done with only 2 ink colors if you really wanted to pair it down.

Anyway, that’s how I use all those notebooks and pens I wrote about in my last few posts. I should probably stick the school stuff on one particular day of the week but it is my life right now so, yeah, my blog reflects my life. :P

On The Go Drawing

Now that I take the train to work I have a choice of drawing or reading. It's pretty evenly divided as to what I pick. I more often then not decide to draw on the way home. It's also a great way tot get uppity type people to not sit with me. Automatic drawings seem to weird those people out.

 

This is where things get complicated. I have drawing stuff for at home and drawing stuff I take with me to school. I’ll write about the stuff I take with me for use on the train and T. At home any pen or pencil is fair game. I use 3 brands of gel ink or gel hybrid ink pens, all of which are water resistant,so that I can add watercolors when I get home. I don’t like using a fountain pen on the train because of the bumps, shakes and jolts. I don’t want to crush a nib.

 

Zebra Sarasa 0.7 This has been my go to pen. It’s not scratchy, the ink flows perfectly on every paper I’ve used and when I layer watercolor, watercolor crayons, and acrylic paint over it, there is NO LIFTING. This is very important in my current work. If I’m layering bright clean yellow over black I can’t have black lifting into the color and turning it muddy or green. Occasionally this pen grays out or doesn’t make a perfect black line. The one detractor of this pen is it’s cheap feeling body. Awesome ink in a cruddy pen body. If I have to write standing up I’ll use a Sarasa, as the clicky pen is easier to use than a fountain pen.

 

UniBall Signo in a variety of sizes. Again water resistant or waterproof ink that doesn’t lift. I find this pen to be a little more scratchy and not as smooth on all papers thrown at it. It is a great dark black ink that never grays out. It’s just not quite as smooth as the Sarasa. The pen’s body is better than the Sarasa.

 

Pentel Pocket Brush Pens I carry 2 with me at all times. I’ve written about them before, nothing has changed from those initial explorations and feelings. I still love these brush pens.

 

Pentel Hybrid Technica I have 4 sizes. I like these but they do have a slight tendency to lift, so I only like to use these when I’m going to leave the page black and white. I have reviewed these in the past.

 

I also carry one of my many technical pencils in 0.5 with me, usually with HB leads loaded. It varies from day to day depending on what I want to use.I also carry a wite out pen and a clicky eraser.

 

Everything gets shoved into a pen roll I picked up at Staples for $5 at the start of the school year. It is padded and offeres some protection for delicate points.

Grad School Tools

Grad school requires that I write, a lot. I’m not a computerized notetaker, I prefer pen and paper because it helps me to learn and remember. I thought I’d write up a post about what I’m using for notes as well as drawing. Yes, drawing! The great thing about getting a graduate degree in art therapy is that art is part of the program.

First, notebooks.

I’m almost exclusively using Staples brand composition notebooks that are made in Brazil. I purchased a bunch of these when they were on sale for 50 cents. 20 of them to be exact. Why so many? After being burned on the Staples Sustainable Earth composition notebooks, I really didn’t want to get into the depth of the semester and have to search out another decent composition notebook. Once I did the work in figuring out what composition notebook I liked with the inks I planned on using, I didn’t want to be frustrated with notebooks. It looks as though I’m going to fill one per class and more for classes where I’m doing more reflection. I’ll have to write up a post about how I use my notebooks, because it’s different than how I thought I’d use them. I also carry a no name sketechbook from Artist and Craftsman that I need to review at some point. It's heavy, but the paper is great.

Writing Pens

I’m almost exclusively using one of 4 pens, depending on my mood, color desired, and what I’m writing.I take 2 of these with me to school as well as an assortment of pens to draw with.

 

First I have a TWSBI 530 medium nib, I change the ink up as I feel like I want to change it. Right now it’s loaded with Diamine Chocolate. I love this ink and pen combination. The flow is just amazing, the color is like writing with semi-sweet chocolate, and it has lovely shading with this nib. Awesome.

Second I have a TWSBI 540 fine nib that I have loaded with my Scribal Workshop blend of Siren Blue. Now that I have this ink flowing well, it’s just awesome. It flows well, looks great and has nice shading, plus it’s not a boring blue. I also use this for margin notes on my readings.

Third I have my Kaweco Sport Classic in clear with a medium nib. I’ve converted it back to eyedropper since the sack conversion left it leaking into the cap, which it doesn’t do when eyedropper. I’ve got it filled with Private Reserve DC Supershow blue. I love this ink, even with it’s long drying time. I use this for my short reflections on my readings.

Fourth I have a Platinum Preppy medium converted to eyedropper loaded up with a 50/50 mix of Noodler’s Nikita and Red Fox. The Nikita lends it’s bloody red color and the fox gives some water resistance. I use this for reflections for classes on the opposite side of the page. (This is where I need to explain my note taking and reflection  method. I’ll get  a post up about that soon.) I also use it to reflect on my reading notes, again on the opposite side of the page. I will also use it to circle or underline stuff in my notes.

Highlighters

I exclusively use refillable highlighters. I’ve written about my Platinum Preppy highlighters and my mix of ink previously, so I won’t here. I’ll just point out I have 2, one that I take to school with me and one that stays on my desk at home, so I always have one filled.

I’ll get to the pens I use for drawing tomorrow.