In this comforting circle bundles exercise, we’ll calm and comfort our minds.
This is another exercise that’s not about the aesthetics of the outcome but about the effect of the process. These circle bundles can have a warm and nurturing effect and help us bundle energy and express our feelings.
It’s a way to calm down and center yourself. It can help us relax and clear our minds when overwhelmed or stressed.
We can associate these circles with a safe place to be at peace with ourselves.
Drawing these circles can feel like a mental hug.
There’s no need to create perfect circles in this exercise. You’re doing it right as long as you make a circular motion. Continue with one bundle until you need to start a new one. Again, there’s no right or wrong way to do this. Always follow your feelings.
So grab a pen and paper and enjoy some well-deserved creative me-time with this exercise!
Have fun with this comforting circle bundles exercise! Please let me know if you’ve tried this one; I would love to see it.
You can find a small video of this exercise on my Instagram @thecreativecooldown
Supplies used:
Bristol paper (Winsor & Newton), alcohol markers (ohuhu), fineliner 0,03 (Edding), washi tape.
Alternative supply suggestions:
You can use any material for this exercise, such as colored pencils, crayons, or a pencil.
Adding a background color is optional.
Instructions:
Step 1
Before you start, slowly breathe in and out a few times to clear your head. Then, add washi tape around the borders to create a frame around your drawing.
Adding some background color is optional. However, the essential part of this exercise is drawing the circle bundles. So if you don’t feel like adding a background color or gradient, or if you don’t have any colors available, start with step 4.
Choose a color that calms you or that you like. You can give your background one color or multiple colors or add a gradient, as I did.
If you want to create a gradient, continue with the next step; otherwise, continue with step 4.
Pick a color and make sure you have three different shades of that color. It’s also possible to do this with one pencil.
Divide your page into four parts. Color the bottom three with your lightest color, or add a light layer with your pencil.
Step 2
Grab a slightly darker shade and color the bottom two parts with that color. Add an extra layer for the bottom two parts when you use a pencil. We’ll grab a darker shade for the last part and color the bottom. For pencil users, add a third layer with a pencil to the last part of your page.
Step 3
We’ll grab our lightest shade again and cover our whole page with this color. This will make the colors blend and makes the transition between the shades more fluent. This step is unnecessary when you’ve used a pencil in steps 1 and 2.
Step 4
We’ll come to this exercise’s central part: the circle bundles. To create one, you make a circular motion on your paper while you stay in one spot. This will create circles upon circles. This specific motion is very calming and comforting. Drawing these circle bundles can feel like a mental hug.
There’s no need to create perfect circles in this exercise. You’re doing it right as long as you make a circular motion. Continue with one bundle until you need to start a new one. Again, there’s no right or wrong way to do this. Always follow your feelings.
Step 5
Continue drawing these circle bundles until your whole page is filled with them. Enjoy the comforting feeling they create.
Slowly remove your washi tape. Keep your tape parallel to your page when you remove it to prevent tearing.
Now this comforting circle bundles exercise is done! I hope you had fun.
You might also like my mindful spiral circle exercise if you liked this exercise.