Zentangle

Have you ever Zentangled? (This new concept may be old hat to you, but just in case …)

Don’t let the term trap you into logical interpretations.

No claustrophobia intended.

On the contrary,

this type of tangling is all about freeing … your mind.

Zentangle® is a mesmerizing method of structured doodling created by calligrapher Maria Thomas and her husband, Rick Roberts.

Image courtesy of Zentangle.com

Let’s put it into context:

You’ve been known to scribble and swirl on scraps of paper when talking on the phone, yes?

Well, Zentangle takes this kind of drawing to a whole new level of artistry-meets-meditation.

And anyone can do it, even people who insist they can’t draw.

Image courtesy of Craft Chick http://craftchick.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/whats-a-zentangle/

“We love presenting to a class or seminar full of people who are convinced they can’t draw the Zentangle art we show them. Then, within 15 minutes, they have easily accomplished what they thought was impossible,” Maria says. “This is one of our favorite Zentangle moments, because then we ask, ‘What else do you know that you can’t do?’ You can transfer that insight and experience of success and accomplishment to any life experience. Something may look complicated, but you now know that you can do it, one simple stroke at a time.”

Image courtesy of the Greeley County Library http://greeley.mykansaslibrary.org/zentangle-classes/

Creating a Zentangle is as simple as drawing one simple pattern after the next, and fitting them together.

Images courtesy of Montreal Art Therapy http://blog.montrealarttherapy.com/?tag=zentangle

Images courtesy of Montreal Art Therapy http://blog.montrealarttherapy.com/?tag=zentangle

But Rick and Maria don’t just kick you out in the cold with a pen and expect you to scribble your way to Zen.

That could be … frustrating … which is SO not the goal.

Maria explains that the “very act of putting your pen to paper focuses your attention in a special way. As your eye follows your pen strokes, your attention shifts to a state that allows fresh thoughts, new perspectives, and creative insights to flow unhindered by anxiety or effort.”

So, how does one learn the art of Zentangle?

Maria and Rick have designed a Zentangle Kit that contains drawing tools and instructions on how to dive into meditative doodling. One item the kit does not contain? An eraser.

“There is no eraser in life and there is no eraser in a Zentangle Kit,” declares the website. “However, in creating Zentangle art (and in living life), you will discover that apparent mistakes can be foundations for new patterns and take you in unexpected and exciting new directions.”

Image courtesy of Zentangle.com

You can also take a Zentangle class from a certified instructor near you.