SubscribeEvery year in Japan the Mandala Chart Association holds a Mandala Chart Festival, and contestants submit examples of a Mandala Chart that they are using in their work or personal life. The variety is something to see, ranging from a consultant’s application of Peter Drucker’s management philosophy, to an elementary school boy’s plan on his future career as a professional baseball player. The festival features various people who are leaders in their respective fields, and each shares examples of how they use the Mandala Chart.
Contestants submit both an example of a Mandala Chart, and an explanation of what it means and how it is used. The Mandala Charts themselves range from hand drawn to computer generated, from personal to professional examples, each as unique as the people who created them. However, each contestant has to submit an explanation in a standardized format with information on the following topics: Theme, Profile, Overview, Applications, Benefits, Recommended for, Why Now?, Future Projects, and In a Word. This is an excellent discipline because you need to make your Mandala Chart clear to others, as well as to yourself.
SAMURAI WALK Concept
I am attaching the Mandala Chart and Explanation which I am submitting for the Mandala Festival to be held on Sep 24, 2011. It also happens to announce my launch of a new brand and Trademark called SAMURAI WALK ®, along with the various products and projects (illustration, below) I am launching with it.
SAMURAI WALK Products
There will be more on this in future articles, but this is an example of how a concept can grow into tangible products and projects, even to launch a business.
It takes extra work and discipline to create a Mandala Chart at this level of precision, but it is worth the extra effort when you see the project on paper becoming a reality. For that reason you might see if you can describe a dream or project in detail on 3X3 Matrix, and then answer the questions in the 9 categories above on the Concept Sheet. The lens of the Mandala Chart will focus your mind wonderfully, and the discipline of putting it all into 9 frames will help you communicate your project to others.
—