One Zentangle a Day

details on this tile design.
    I was surprised on the first day at how the time flew when I was “tangling.” From that day forward I drew Zentangled tiles to get through appointments, tests, surgery, hospitalizations, and treatments. At first, it was an easy kit to grab and go. It was small but efficient in keeping me occupied when I felt trapped. It did not take long to realize that it wasn’t just the process of tangling that helped me through my illness, one step at a time. Often, fellow patients would ask what I was doing, and I would show them. I started bringing extra tiles and pens to share. One day, one of these patients said, “No wonder you are so calm and upbeat when I see you—this should be part of everyone’s recovery.”
    I soon realized that if creating Zentangles could get me through the worst of times, it would also enhance the best of times. As I healed and was able to return to my studio, I replaced the former random routines I had used to focus with drawing a few Zentangle tiles. Within ten to twenty minutes I am focused and ready to work on my current project. In thirty-two years as a studio artist, I had never found a way to place my mind so quickly in what many call “the zone.” To me, this means a state of focus that allows the instinctual and intellectual sides of the brain to work in harmony. The process of creating a Zentangle is a great tool. Creating Zentangle tiles fills your life with beautiful pieces of abstract art, improves drawing skills, and benefits the body and mind. Today there are many studies that point to the benefits of meditative art forms. From a reset similar to a nap, they calm the mind, increase the intake of information, sharpen focus, and relieve stress. Every correspondence I send ends with the phrase, “Keep creating, it will change your life.” Not only does creating add beauty to your life, but also it improves our attitude and personal outlook.
    Black tiles have a style and elegance all their own.

WHAT IS ZENTANGLE?

    A ZENTANGLE IS A MINIATURE abstract work of art. It is created from a collection of patterns not meant to represent anything. It is created on a 3 1/2 × 3 1/2-inch (8.9 × 8.9 cm) piece of art paper called a “tile.” This size allows for a work of art that can be completed in a relatively short time. The process is a meditative art form, using a pen and pencil. There are no mistakes in Zentangle, so there is no need for an eraser. If you do not like the look of a stroke you have made, it then becomes only an opportunity to create a new tangle, or transform it using an old trusty pattern.
    A Zentangle tile is meant to be a surprise that unfolds before the creator’s eyes, one stroke at a time. Zentangle is one of the few art forms that you intentionally do not plan out. There are no expectations or planned goals of accomplishment to worry about attaining or disappointments stemming from unattainable expectations. With no plan to follow, there is nothing to detract from the stroke being drawn. The lack of planning and the tangles allow the unexpected to occur.
    The process of creating a Zentangle teaches us to become comfortable letting our instincts be in control, so it does not matter that you do not know what you are doing next. Practicing the Zentangle process teaches you to look at your work from every angle, which allows you to acknowledge all the possibilities of the piece and the opportunity to make decisions as the artwork evolves. Being locked into planned goals can cause the loss of opportunity for the piece to flow naturally together. Following a plan can often leave the artwork feeling stiff, rigid, or lacking in continuity. Once you grasp the concepts of tangling, you can easily expand upon it as you travel on your Zentangle journey.
    One of the wonderful things about Zentangle is that, like life, a Zentangle is always a work in progress. There is always another stroke that can be deliberately made, a new pattern to learn or invent to cover or transform an area you are not happy with. Just as in life, we often learn the most from transforming an area we do not like. Often I will complete a tile and not like it because of an area in which I am not happy with the strokes. Later when I come back to the tile, I find I really like it a lot. I do not notice those few strokes that bothered me so much the day before. Remember, there is always the next tile to be created, and each one is an opportunity to learn. Just as it is