Creating decorative patterns has been in existence forever. So why has this method become so popular? I think there are two reasons, 1.) It starts with a clear methodology that anyone can learn, and 2.) It’s an open ended meditative and mindful practice based in creativity.
My experience with the official (trademarked) Zentangle method happened while I was recovering from major dental surgery. I was all drugged up, couldn’t eat and couldn’t do much else, so I went to my bookshelf. Someone had given me a beginner’s Zentangle workbook as a Christmas gift so I decided to give it a try. It wasn’t the first time I had created art with repetitive patterns, but it was a different method.
What I Like About Zentangle
- It’s easy to learn
- It helps you focus
- It reduces stress
- It’s intuitive
- It increases creativity
- You don’t need a lot of supplies
- It’s possibilities are open-ended
- You can take it with you and do it anywhere
How to Start a Zentangle practice?
The best way is to learn the basics first. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials and books on how to do it. I like the book I used, One Zentangle a Day, by Beckah Krahula, because it started by explaining the process and using the most simple patterns first. The book is a 6-week course with a daily practice of three new patterns and then you incorporate them into a Zentangle each day. So, you end up with 42 Zentangle’s by the end of the book. (I’m not recieving any benifit from promoting this book or the Zentangle website.)
As a disclaimer, I have to say that I didn’t use the official squares, and didn’t buy any special supplies. I just used a cheap 5×7 sketchbook and Copic pen set that I already had. Sometimes I cut squares out of card stock because they were more portable than the sketchbook. I love simple art tools that I can carry in my purse.
Where to go from here?
I don’t do Zentangle all the time now, but I sometimes incorporate tangles or or other things I learned from it into other artwork. It’s a fairly quick daily creative practice that can expand your creative potential as well as be a mindfulness style stress reducer.
One piece of advise I would give is don’t spend too much time on Pinterest looking at the plethora of Zentangle art, as it can make you feel like you’ll never be good enough. Social Media is like that, it’s great for finding info and ideas but it can also be overwhelming.
Heart Beat of the Soul 