Coloring the Cliché: How to Meditate with Art (and What It Reveals)

Not everyone wants to close their eyes to meditate.

Some of us feel restless in stillness, or anxious in silence.

Some of us think better while looking at something — a sky, a painting, the swirl of milk in a café crème.

The French woman, as mythic as she is, rarely closes her eyes to *escape*.

She looks straight at the world — chin lifted, gaze soft.

She observes.

She sees.

That’s where this practice begins.

Seeing as a ritual

In the Parisian Clichés class, the final part of the meditation is a visual one.

We work with an artwork inspired by the rose window of Notre-Dame — circular, symbolic, filled with tiny icons of Parisian life: a cigarette, a croissant, a glass of wine, a little black dress.

We don’t analyze it.

We don’t label it.

We just look.

Eyes open. Then closed.

And slowly, something else begins to appear — not in the image, but in us.

What gaze meditation actually does

When you rest your eyes on a single point — without judgment or interpretation — the mind follows.

* It trains your attention without strain

* It calms visual overstimulation (especially if you live online)

* It invites introspection without needing words

* It softens your thoughts by focusing your senses

This is especially helpful for those who feel too "in their head" during traditional seated meditation.

The cliché as a mirror

There’s a moment in the practice when I ask:

> “What do you see in her face?”

> “Now — what do you see in your own?”

The artwork becomes a mirror.

The cliché — of the Parisian woman, the effortless elegance, the aloof glance — dissolves into something more intimate.

Maybe it’s confidence. Maybe it’s loneliness. Maybe it’s freedom.

Whatever you see, it’s yours to feel.

Try this now

Using the image above or any artwork nearby — even a magazine cover or a photo on your wall — try this:

1. Sit in silence and look at it without describing it.

2. Let your eyes rest on one part of the image.

3. When you blink, close your eyes and try to hold the image in your mind.

4. Repeat a few times, slowly.

5. Notice not what you see — but what begins to surface.

This is a meditation. This is presence. This is the image becoming personal.

Want to try this with the Parisian Clichés artwork?

The full ritual — including visual meditation, breathwork, and movement — is available as an audio class for Tier 3 members on Patreon.

The artwork is included as a printable or can be explored as part of the scarf or print collection.

Whether or not you choose to color it in, you’re invited to *look*.

Not to find meaning — but to meet yourself.