Kaleidoscoping Around
“At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.”—Jean Houston
I started playing around with online kaleidoscope and mandala makers while I was researching Life Glows On—one of the many perks of researching a book about creativity. I find it really fun and relaxing, and as much as I love writing, it’s a nice break from working with words all day. I should also probably warn you that it’s a little bit addicting!
If this sounds like the kind of fun (or procrastination!) you need right now, here are two easy and FREE options for you to try.
In the photo at the top of this post, you can see what I made on Kaleidoscope Painter. It’s a free website that’s easy to use. I also love this one because the designs make me remember the magic of looking through a kaleidoscope as a child.
Once you click on the link above, you’ll see a canvas and a welcome message. You can choose your background color and paint color and brush size. But the best part for someone (like me!) who doesn’t have any real drawing experience is that you can also click on one of the patterns in the little squares below the canvas. After you do that, just click on the canvas and drag. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll be able to create!
Above is the beginning of a mandala I made with Mandala Maker Online, which is another free, non-intimidating tool I like. To get started, leave the background white, choose a color for your brush, and then click and drag your cursor around and see what happens. After that, you can add more colors, change the width of your brush, or whatever else you feel like doing.
With both of these tools, just keep trying things and don’t worry about ruining or breaking anything. You can always clear and start again! And when you’ve finished, you can download and save your masterpieces like I did.
Life Glows On is filled with so many more ideas for reconnecting with your creativity. If you haven’t started reading it yet, I hope you will. You can buy your copy here: https://amzn.to/3Auskko
Talk to you soon!
xxxxxClaire
CLAIRE COOK wrote her first book in her minivan at 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of Must Love Dogs, starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, which is now a 7-book series. Claire is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 Amazon bestseller of 21 books.
