Toronto+Vancouver City of Labyrinths Project

Little One wearing a dress full of colourful hearts standing on the Heart I painted at the entrance of my Robson Square Labyrinth!

All her hearts match the colours of the Labyrinth!

Red Hearts, Blue Hearts, Green Hearts, Yellow Hearts!

Sometimes it feels like there are more than one path, or one road, inside a Labyrinth; until you reach the Heart of Labyrinth, its Centre…

That someone be…

Me!

I’ve re-chalked Labyrinths in this exact location a number of times now.

It seems to be appreciated.

The second image in this Instagram post wonderfully captures the moment of contemplation before one enters my Robson Square Labyrinth…

This was outlined originally in red coloured chalk.

Over time, the red has faded, yet the Heart outline of this Labyrinth remains . . .

The Heart in The Centre of the Labyrinth I painted in Robson Square, Downtown Vancouver…

I was working on this Chalk Labyrinth Saturday evening, along the seawall, north of Science World and west of Creekside Park.

First time making a Labyrinth in this exact location . . .

Wasn’t quite sure the location was ideal, yet people did appreciate it, and it turned out okay.

Still want to go back and finish it though.

More Photos

This is one of the Heart Aglets from my larger scale Chalk Labyrinth currently on the Seawall near Science World in False Creek.

Aglets are that slip of plastic at the end of shoelaces to prevent fraying of the threads.

When I first began drawing circles at the end of the arcs and turn-arounds in my Labyrinths, I needed a word for what this was and what I intended and hoped for in behaviour of Labyrinth Walkers/Runners.

Over the years I had noticed by direct observation of people walking my Labyrinths, there were these micro-hesitations, these almost imperceptible pauses whenever people reached a turn-around.

Finally realized that people were looking at the far wall at the end of each Labyrinth Lane.

They would reach the wall, and only then would they make a decision to turn.

They were focused on the destination at the end of the lane.

By drawing circles at the end of the arcs, be they parallel or concentric lines, which altogether make a Labyrinth a Labyrinth, I saw those micro-hesitations disappear.

People were focusing on the circle as they walked towards the end of each lane, reaching it they seamlessly turned and continued walking or running until they reached the centre.

This micro-hesitation behaviour did not exist when I looked at people walking traditional Chartres Labyrinth designs.

That was an important clue.

I had observed people just kept walking, without the pause.

That was because at the end of each concentric lane is a semi-circle curve, a Labrys, which would guide you to the next inner or outer parallel concentric lane.

In essence, by drawing circles at the end of arcs, I had pulled in the Labrys from the far wall to the centre of a turn-around point.

That began in Toronto.

One day, I don’t recall when, but it was here in Vancouver, instead of drawing a circle aglet, I drew a heart aglet.

It changed everything.

The entire feeling of walking the Labyrinth changed.

With every turn, one’s own idea of whatever the Heart Symbol means to them, is being compounded with every turn until they reach the centre, where they usually find a Larger Heart, which I almost always now include in my Labyrinths.

I found this positive compounded feeling was lessened by using multi-coloured heart aglets, so I almost always keep them red.

Yet whenever I remember to do so, I mix it up and draw one or maybe two Heart Aglets in a different colour.

Thus, this Blue Heart Aglet…

Good to see how well the Chalk Labyrinth I did the other evening in Bill Curtis Square in Yaletown is holding up.

However, the Heart in the centre of the Labyrinth is almost all gone.

I observed many people would walk right into the centre, stand on the heart, and then take photographs or have photographs taken of them standing on the heart.

Looking forward to re-making a new Chalk Labyrinth here with all I’ve learned by observing how people are interacting with it from this first attempt.

Reflection upon Reflection upon the Heart at the Start of my Robson Square Labyrinth . . .

Blessings Appreciated !

“After several days of frazzled energy, encountering this Labyrinth painted on the ground amidst the gingko leaves that already festooned the space, was very much welcomed.

I was hurrying on my way to work this evening but gave myself the gift of time to stop and walk along the Labyrinth’s calming and healing pathway. Blessings to the maker.”

– Naomi Belle

“Vancouver’s got an Epidemic of Labyrinths…?”

…Another way of saying “Vancouver City of Labyrinths Project”…!