Exploring Ritual Art: Creating Your Ritual Art Practice

Are you ready to transform your everyday routine into a vibrant tapestry of spiritual expression? In our last adventure, we delved into the basics of ritual art and uncovered the possibility of its profound impact on wellbeing. Today, we're taking the next exhilarating step: creating your ritual art practice.

Imagine starting your day not with a mundane checklist, but with a ritual that sparks joy and ignites your creativity. Picture ending your evening not with stress and exhaustion, but with a soothing practice that connects you to something greater. Whether you're an experienced artist or someone who has never picked up a paintbrush, this guide is designed to be your practical companion. Together, we'll explore simple, yet powerful techniques that seamlessly fit into your daily lifestyle, helping you cultivate a ritual art practice that feels uniquely yours.

Get ready to discover how you can use art to set intentions, create sacred spaces, prepare yourself for ritual and choose the best techniques for the situation. Let’s dive into the world of ritual art and find out how you can infuse your life with creativity, purpose, and a sense of adventure.

Recap

In my previous post of this series on Exploring Ritual Art, I discussed some of the basics of ritual art and how this can be applied to improve your wellbeing. Remember, ritual art can be expressed in many forms, such as visual art, dance, voice, music, writing or using nature elements. Right brain activity promotes a flow state where intuition and creativity flourish, which can create a bridge between the seen and unseen worlds. We can then apply our creative flow with intention to manifest and bring about positive transformation.  If we apply it to the pillars of wellness (body, mind, spirit, abundance, alignment and harmony), we can experience a holistic personal transformation.

Importance of a Personalized Ritual Art Practice

Every person is different, with their own rhythms, responsibilities, and preferences. A one-size-fits-all approach to ritual art simply doesn’t work because what resonates deeply with one person might not have the same impact on another. Personalizing your ritual art practice ensures that it aligns with your personal goals, spiritual beliefs, and daily schedule, making it a meaningful and sustainable part of your life. 

Flexibility in Ritual Art Practices

Integrate into Your Schedule

Ritual art can be woven into any part of your day. If you’re a morning person, start your day with a brief meditation or a quick sketch. If evenings are your sanctuary, wind down with some gentle dancing or journaling. The key is to find the time that works best for you and your lifestyle. You can add as much or as little as you like.

Adapt to Your Environment

Your ritual art practice can be as mobile as you are. Whether you have a dedicated studio space or a small corner of your living room, it’s the intention behind the practice that counts. Even when traveling, you can carry a small journal, a set of colored pencils, or even a portable musical instrument to maintain your connection to ritual art. Really all you need is your own body for basic walks, dancing or singing.

Choose What Resonates

From painting to dancing, chanting to crafting, the forms of ritual art are limitless. Experiment with different mediums to see what resonates most with you. Do you feel more connected when your hands are in clay, molding a new creation? Or perhaps the rhythm of a drum or the flow of movement through dance speaks to your soul? There is no right or wrong way—only what feels right to you.  Start off with one art form that seems the easiest or most comfortable to you. Later you can branch out to something else.

Accessibility for Everyone

No Special Skills Required

You don’t need to be a professional artist or have any special skills to engage in ritual art. The beauty of this practice lies in its accessibility to everyone, regardless of experience or expertise. The focus is on the process and the connection it fosters, not the final product. The bridge to connection rests within yourself. You have always had this ability. You simply need to remember how to connect to your inner creative flow.

Affordable and Sustainable

Ritual art doesn’t require expensive materials or elaborate setups. Many practices can be done with simple, everyday items. Nature offers a wealth of free materials—think stones, leaves, or even the sand at your local beach. Household items like candles, essential oils, and paper can also be incorporated into your rituals. This makes ritual art a sustainable and affordable way to enrich your life.

Inclusivity

Ritual art is inclusive and adaptable to all ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds. Whether you’re a solo practitioner or part of a community, you can shape your practice to reflect your personal heritage, spiritual beliefs, and physical capabilities. This inclusivity makes ritual art a universal language of the soul.

Getting Started with a Ritual Art Practice

1. Setting Intentions:

Defining Your Goals

It is important to set clear intentions for your ritual art practice. Are you seeking healing,

harmony, joy, freedom? There are limitless choices for you to explore.  When you decide what type of outcome you are seeking from your practice, your results will be more evident to you.  It becomes easier to express gratitude for those results, and gratitude, in turn, produces more results!  Intentions can be as simple and short term as I will experience joy today, or I will feel peace with my decision to plant beans instead of tomatoes.  Goals may be connection related such as I want to receive a message from my healing angel today.

Focusing Intentions

You can break down your goals into manageable daily, weekly, and monthly intentions. The key to crafting your intention is to keep it simple and focus on one intention at a time.   Ideally, a ritual is focused on one thing for transformation not a compounded list of goals.   If you have a long list of complex goals, you should prioritize to find the top goal. Then find the root cause of that goal.  What is really the thing you want to transform? Make sure this transformation is of yourself and not others or institutions for best results.

An example is you feel passed over unfairly at work and you want to transform the situation to where you are getting better assignments and a promotion and a raise.  Let’s not focus the intention on transforming the company or your boss. Focus the intention on what you have more control over…what needs to transform in yourself. 

Start seeking the root cause of being overlooked at work? 

·       Is it because you don’t have the right network or relationships?

·       Is it because you made mistakes in the past that have left an impression? 

·       Is it because you shy away from the spotlight and let others take credit for the successes? 

Say it is the last one; you shy away from the spotlight and let others take credit for the successes. 

·       Why do you think you do this?

·       How does it make you feel to be in the spotlight?

·       Why do you feel that way? 

By drilling down with why questions, we can get to the root of what you need to transform. 

Let’s say in this example you feel unsafe with attention focused on you because when you were a child, you were often berated by your parents when the focus was on you.  In this case, inner child safety is a real concern when you are in the spotlight.  Your intention could be:

“I declare I feel completely safe when I receive recognition in the workplace.”

There is a lot more you could be tempted to add into this such as:

·       I am deserving of recognition in my workplace.

·       I am capable of accepting praise and credit for my achievements without fear.

·       I will nurture my inner child by providing reassurance and support, transforming past wounds into a source of strength and empowerment.

·       I will heal my root chakra, source of safety, to thrive in any environment.

However, the simple intention of “I declare I feel completely safe when I receive recognition in the workplace” is best suited for focusing your purpose of getting the results you want. This intention focuses on internal transformation, addressing the root cause of not receiving recognition in the workplace. It empowers you to take control of your feelings and reactions, paving the way for improved relationships and opportunities at work.

Alternatively, you could be seeking advice if you don’t know what the cause is, such as “my intention is to seek guidance from Archangel Michael on feeling safe when I receive recognition in the workplace.“ That is just as simply stated and can result in a powerful connection and message.

2. Choosing Your Forms of Ritual Art: Exploring Different Forms

Ritual art is incredibly versatile, and there are numerous forms you can explore. Here’s a brief overview of various forms to consider:

• Visual Art: Paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other visual expressions.

• Dance: Movements and dances that convey spiritual meanings or express emotions.

• Voice: Chanting, singing, and speaking powerful affirmations.

• Music: Playing instruments or listening to spiritually uplifting music.

• Writing: Journaling, automatic writing, or writing poetry.

• Nature Elements: Using natural objects like stones, leaves, and flowers in your rituals.

Selecting What Resonates:

Choosing the forms of ritual art that resonate with you is crucial for a meaningful practice. Here are some tips:

• Experiment: Try different mediums to see what feels most natural and fulfilling.

• Listen to Your Intuition: Pay attention to what draws you in and makes you feel connected.

• Start Simple: Begin with one form that seems easiest or most comfortable, then gradually explore others.

3. Creating a Sacred Space:

Designating a Space:

Your sacred space is where your ritual art practice will flourish. Here’s how to choose and

prepare this space:

• Choose a Quiet Spot: Select a place where you can focus without distractions.

• Make it Personal: Decorate your space with items that inspire and comfort you, be it plants, crystals, incense or essential oils, colors that invoke feelings.

• Keep it Sacred: Maintain this area for your practice, ensuring it remains a clean and clutter-free sanctuary. Refresh decorations or tools that feel energetically stale.

• Mindful Arrangements: Arrange your tools and materials in a way that feels intuitive and accessible.

Tools and Materials:

Different forms of ritual art require various tools and materials. Here are some basics:

• Visual Art: Brushes, paints, canvas, paper, pencils.

• Dance or yoga: Comfortable clothing, an open space to move freely, potentially music although that is optional.

• Voice: A quiet environment, maybe a recording device.

• Music: Instruments, or a playlist of inspiring music.

• Writing: Journals, pens, a quiet space to write.

• Nature Elements: Stones, leaves, flowers, and other natural items.

4. Preparing Yourself:

Before diving into your ritual art practice, it's essential to prepare yourself both mentally and physically:

• Grounding Exercises: Simple practices like deep breathing, stretching, walking barefoot on soil, a few minutes of sunlight, or a short meditation can help center your mind and body.

• Purification: Let go of the old and open yourself to the new.  You can do this through breathwork, ritual bath, wind walk, incense, prayer, etc.

• Express Gratitude: Start by acknowledging what you’re grateful for, which sets a positive tone for your practice.

• Raise your vibration: Other than expressing gratitude and deep breathing, there are many ways to raise your vibration which will attract more positive energy flow for your rituals. Smiling, listening to uplifting music, petting animals, gardening, and a walk in nature are some examples.

5. Techniques and Practices:

Guided Meditative Art:

A step-by-step guide for a meditative drawing or painting session:

1. Set Your Space: Ensure your space is quiet and comfortable.

2. Choose Your Medium: Select your preferred art supplies. Don’t have art supplies? Try using mud made from dirt or ashes on paper or on a tree trunk using your hand/fingers as a brush.

3. Set an Intention: Focus on what you want to explore or express. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths repeating your intention in your mind or aloud.  Let yourself feel into the vibration of the intention and notice what feedback you receive your six senses

4. Begin Creating: Let your intuition guide your hand. Don’t worry about the outcome—focus on the process. Allow your body, mind and spirit be embedded in the process.  If you feel like humming or singing during the process, let yourself be free to do what your intuition guides you to do.

5. Reflect: Spend a few minutes reflecting on what you created and how it made you feel. End with expressing gratitude.

Dance and Movement:

Simple dance or movement exercises to connect with your body and spirit:

1. Choose Music: Pick music that inspires you to move.

2. Set an Intention: What do you want to release or invite through your movement?

3. Warm-Up: Start with deep breathing, prayer, gentle stretches. Restate your intention during this time.

4. Dance Freely: Let your body move in whatever way feels natural. Focus on the feeling, not the form. Be aware of any messages or thoughts received during this time.  Open all your senses to receiving.

5. Cool Down: End with a few minutes of stillness, feeling the energy you’ve created. Reflect on how that applied to your intention. End with expressing gratitude.

Chanting and Singing:

Techniques for incorporating voice into your practice:

1. Choose a Chant: Select a simple chant or mantra or let one naturally develop as you go. It does not have to be actual words. It could just be sounds.

2. Set an Intention: Focus on the purpose of your chanting.

3. Find Your Voice: Start with deep breathing, prayer, intention stating, even walking or stretching.  I find that walking in nature while I am doing this whole process is helpful.  Begin chanting slowly, feeling the vibration in your body.

4. Repeat: Repeat your chant, letting it guide you into a meditative state. Keep your senses open to what comes.

5. Close Gently: Slowly bring your chanting to a close, taking a moment to sit in silence and reflect. End with expressing gratitude.

Writing and Journaling:

Prompts and practices for automatic writing and journaling:

1. Set Your Space: Ensure you’re in a quiet, comfortable place.

2. Set an Intention: Focus on what you hope to uncover or express.

3. Begin Writing: Start with deep breathing, prayer, intention stating, welcoming spirit to cocreate with you. Open yourself to downloads from spirit.  Start writing without thinking too much. Let the words flow naturally. You can start with writing about what your six senses are feeling at the moment and go from there.

4. Stay Open: Be open to whatever comes up, even if it doesn’t make sense at first.

5. Reflect: Review what you’ve written and reflect on any insights or patterns. If nothing you expected came in the writing, try next time at a different time of day. End with expressing gratitude.

Nature-Based Practices:

Ideas for integrating natural elements into your rituals:

1. Set an Intention: Focus on how you want to use these elements in your ritual.

2. Gather Materials: Start with deep breathing, prayer, intention stating. Ask nature for permission to cocreate using objects from Mother Earth. Collect stones, leaves, flowers, or other natural items to make a nature mandala outdoors

3. Create: Arrange your materials in a pattern or design that feels meaningful.

4. Engage: Spend time with your creation, meditating on its significance. Express desire to spirit to continue cocreating with you by changing and transforming the mandala with the power of wind and rain.

5. Thank Nature: Express gratitude for the materials you used and the energy they bring.  Check back on your creation over time to see how it transforms.

Conclusion:

By tailoring your ritual art practice to fit your lifestyle and individual needs, you create a

sustainable and deeply personal form of spiritual expression. Embrace the flexibility and accessibility of ritual art, and allow it to transform your daily routines into moments of creative and spiritual enrichment. Your ritual art practice is a reflection of you—unique, adaptable, and profoundly meaningful.

The next article in this series will cover how to leverage existing art made by others in your ritual art practice. While this is easier to accomplish than creating your own, I felt it important for you to have confidence that exploring your own creativity can be fulfilling, meaningful, and accessible. So why not start today?

By tailoring your ritual art practice to fit your lifestyle and individual needs, you create a sustainable and deeply personal form of spiritual expression. Embrace the flexibility and accessibility of ritual art, and allow it to transform your daily routines into moments of creative and spiritual enrichment. Your ritual art practice is a reflection of you—unique, adaptable, and profoundly meaningful.

The next article in this series will cover how to leverage existing art made by others in your ritual art practice.  While this is easier to accomplish than creating your own, I felt it important for you to have confidence that exploring your own creativity can be fulfilling, meaningful and accessible. So why not start today?

Invitation

Continue the adventure by joining the conversation in my private Facebook Group Soul Shifters Guild. Share your ritual art practices.

Be sure to check out the rest of the posts in the Exploring Ritual Arts series coming soon:

1. Holistic Wellness Through Creativity (last week)

2. Creating Your Ritual Art Practice (this post)

3. Leveraging Art in Your Practice

4. The Transformational Power of Impermanence

5. Integrating Ritual Art into Daily Life

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