Donna Bearden

After careers in public information, curriculum design, and educational research and evaluation, Donna Bearden is doing exactly what she wants to do: photography and photo-mandala art. Photography has been a long-time interest. Creating photo-mandalas began in 2007.

A long-time journaler, Donna often writes to figure things out – issues, problems, what she’s thinking and not just what she thinks she’s thinking. The thought of using an art-form to help occurred when she learned how Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist, drew mandalas as one of his methods of accessing the subconscious.

Once Donna learned the mechanics of creating mandalas from slices of her photographs, she began incorporated the art form into her journaling. After writing about an issue, she searches her photo files and selects a picture without trying to analyze it. She then creates the mandala, prints it, and studies it. The process is very meditative and often provides new insights.

As is often the case with art and life, one thing led to another. Donna began creating mandalas to emphasize patterns in nature and architecture, to explore spirituality, and as a way to further develop her photography skills. Thus began the adventure of sharing her work with others: first through prints, then through pairing mandalas with quotations (her own or borrowed from others), and then through designing and marketing silk scarves.

Donna’s mandala/quotations are sent out weekly through her own website mailing list (www.donnabearden.com).