Looking for a fun and creative way to challenge yourself this October? Mandalatober is a fun take on the well-known Inktober art challenge—but with a focus on drawing mandalas! Whether you’re a seasoned mandala artist or a complete beginner, this challenge is a great way to practice mindfulness, improve your skills, and stay creatively inspired.
Every October, artists worldwide take part in drawing challenges like Inktober. Back in 2019, I decided to create my own version of this, called Mandalatober—a challenge to create a different mandala every day of the month. I made my own prompt list, completed all 31 days, and encouraged other artists to participate along with me. It was such a rewarding experience!
However, I later realized that someone else had already been running a Mandalatober challenge for some time. Since then, myself and many others have been following their prompts instead. No matter which list you use, Mandalatober is a great way to grow your skills, stay consistent with drawing, and connect with a creative community!
What is Mandalatober?
Mandalatober is a month-long art challenge that runs throughout the month of October. Artists create and share a new mandala each day based on daily prompts, using any medium they like—whether digital, traditional, painted, or even using found objects.
My Experience with Mandalatober
In 2019, I challenged myself to draw 31 different mandalas throughout the month, following a prompt list I created (see below). I shared my progress on Instagram using the hashtag #mandalatober2019 and invited others to join in.
How to Participate in Mandalatober today
Even though I now follow the existing Mandalatober challenge prompts, the core idea remains the same: commit to drawing mandalas daily, share your work, and enjoy the process. Here’s how you can participate:
- Find a Mandalatober Prompt List to Follow: A quick search on Instagram or Pinterest should turn up the latest challenge prompts.
- Create Your Mandalas: You can draw by hand, digitally, or use any medium that inspires you.
- Share on Instagram or Threads: Share Your Work – Post your mandalas on Instagram with the hashtag #mandalatober so others can find and engage with your work. You can also tag me @julieerindesigns so I can see it and share it too!
- Stay Consistent: Don’t worry if you miss a day—just pick up where you left off or create at your own pace.
My Favourite Mandalas from Mandalatober 2019
In 2019, I created 31 unique mandalas based on the prompts I set for myself, and it was an amazing experience. I’ve selected a few of my favourite ones from that year to share with you. I hope these inspire you as much as they inspired me during the challenge!
Day 1: Leaf mandala
Day 3: Rainbow mandala
Day 4: Bones mandala
Day 7: Happy mandala
Day 11: Fire Mandala
Day 13: Bird, or Feather Mandala
Day 15: Sun Mandala
Day 17: Freestyle mandala (no guidelines)
Day 19: Ocean mandala
Day 21: Pumpkin mandala
Day 22: Cat Mandala
Day 23: Spider Mandala
Day 27: Bee Mandala
Final Thoughts
Mandalatober is a fantastic way to challenge yourself, improve your mandala drawing skills, and engage with a creative community. Whether you follow an existing prompt list or create your own, the most important thing is to have fun with the process.
Are you joining Mandalatober this year? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @julieerindesigns so I can see your work!
If you need some inspiration to get started, check out my Mandala Drawing Templates, and my How to Draw a Mandala in Procreate tutorial for a step-by-step guide to creating stunning mandalas digitally. These resources will help you level up your Mandalatober challenge!
Happy creating! 🎨✨
Cheers,
Great idea! I’ll try a few too. Love your mandala designs. They are quite calming to create too. Thanks for all your sharing.
Hi Sheri, that’s awesome I can’t wait to see what you make!!
I love your idea of mandalatober! It’s a pity I missed it.
Hey, thank you so much! You can actually follow the prompts any time if you like, just use the hashtag and tag me if you post it on Instagram or Twitter :)
Thank you I will do that ?