There are a lots of challenges in zentangle-world and in life. Most of the time I appreciate challenges. Sometimes they stress me up. Starting with a blog about zentangle is such a challenge. Why do I do it? It is certainly not because I want to display how clever I am or how talented. My zentangle-journey started a little bit more than a year ago. Since I was acquainted with zen-meditation and what that has meant in my own life I was curious about what the zentangle-method would be like. And a little suspicious too, because I have also learned that talking about zen doesn´t always fit in the zen!
I was stuck though. I love the zentangle-method. It makes me focus, it makes me feeling relaxed. And during my last year as a teacher (I am now retired) I have found out that this method also suited my students. And they were students with learning difficulties. My experiences of the method and my own development during this year makes me feel grateful and I will take the chance to tell others about it. Now when this is said I start to relax blogging. I take a deep breath and go for it! The first tile I show here is from yesterday. A personal challenge of mine is to work through all strings on Tanglepatterns.com. This is string 96. Lori Byerly is doing this challenge as well and she is ahead of me. Actually I got the inspiration from her! It was fun, because when I published this I saw her tile too and they are connected! But I didn´t peep on hers before I made mine! Here beneath the string you find our tiles! It may not be obvious, but we both used her pattern Bublz in the outer space of the tile! Things like that happens and make me smile! The other patterns are: Shnek (Hanny Nura) and Yah (Emily classon).
When it is about zentangle I have learned that challenges can work two ways. It doesn´t depend of the challenge, but it depends on where I am at the moment. If the challenge make me plan, I am almost sure I won´t get the satisfaction and relaxation I need from tangling. The stress comes around and I have to make a result! But very often a challenge makes me focus and just be there in the zen- mood. This was the case with I am the Diva´s challenge no 264 this week. Very simple rules, just make a Spring-string and tangle on! I did love to do this and the patterns just showed up! I used Leaflet (Helen Wiliams), Ipso (Jennifer Hohensteiner), Nipa and Tipple. Here it is:
Now I´ll go on from here: Just one stroke at a time. Keeping that in mind I think this blog might give a little inspiration to someone to take steps towards knowing about the method and maybe give it a try! Please let me know if it does!
19 kommentarer:
Hello Anita!! Welcome to bloggers world!!
your tiles are wonderful.
I love your spring-string leaflet and Ipso as a string!!
Greetings from Anya
Thank´s Anya! So glad you found my place in cyberspace! I have things to learn here, but I´ll take one step at a time! :)
Those are really great tiles. Glad you decided to blog them and show them.
Joyce
I've read your blogpost and I recognise so much what you are writing.
The Diva's Challenge is a fine idea to learn more about Zentangle and to make new (virtual)friends, there is no stress or competition and that is very important. I appreciate very much what Laura does and I am a big fan!
I like both of your tiles: the patterns you have chosen and also the contrasts you have created, well done!!!
Wonderful insights and tiles. Thank you.
I totally agree with the things you wrote about challenges. That's the way it works with me too.
I like your tiles, you have chosen (or did they chose you?) great tangles.
Welcome in blogland, a nice place to meet people and get to know each other.
Joyce, Ria,
Lorna and Anne: Thank´s for visiting and giving so supportive comments!
Both terrific tiles, and in both cases, I love the tangles you choose! I 'specially love the outward lines on your first tile - awesome!
Thank´s Sue! Sometimes it just must go out of the framing line! :)
I enjoyed reading this, although I'm probably your polar opposite. I tend to plan even when I try not to. For me the zen is as hard as the drawing, if not harder - it certainly doesn't come naturally to me. But sometimes, just sometimes, I realise I've been "in the zone" and everything they say about it is true - I am relaxed and calm and it is those times when I may actually have created something I like.
Thank´s for visiting and for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate that! for me zen has been a journey and still is. No ending journey. But a journey that has affected the way I am today in so many ways. I went to a meditation-center and learned the zen-meditation at a point in my life when I was too busy and everything went on in a very fast speed. The zen-meditation was a way for me to sort things out, to se what was important and what wasn´t. And it led me into another direction. It took some time, it really did. But it was helpful and I am grateful to have that experience.
Hi Anita,
Fan of your work and glad you are not a blogger too!
Welcome!
I hope I did this right..I started tangling over a year ago and it still is fresh to me as it was when I started. You have been an encouragement to me and I thank you.
Beautiful work. Love your comments about the spirit of Zentangle too.
Thank you Priscilla De Conti for commenting. It is so special this; I also found zentangle-method just a little more than a year ago and I still feel that it is new every time i sit down tangling!
Thank´s Jean! :)
Wonderful and very harmonious tiles.
Thank you a lot for your thoughts about tangling und challenges! I totally agree with you!
Thank´s Annette P! I am so happy you liked it!
Really lovely tiles. I also feel that planning does not yield the Zen-feeling.
Thank´s Susan! So glad you visited me!
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