The Zentangle Method and humble beginnings

Once again: Long time no posts in this blog. But I am here and I am still tangling.  So much is going on in the Zentangle community. So many new techniques. So much to learn and be excited of.Now there are a lot of tools, a lot of different tiles, a lot of color. To deal with all the new stuff is sometimes confusing, sometimes I admit, I also can find it a little stressful to keep up with everything. I have been thinking about this a lot the last six months. How do I find my way to keep my mind focused and find the relaxation in the method? The answer to all that was served on a silver tray recently! In the last  blogposts from Zentangle  it was all about the basics. Here is the first one : The 8 steps of Zentangle

This is all I need to tangle: A tile, a pencil, a tortillon and a black pen. And I love to keep it this simple. Because then I can have the supplies handy where ever I may be. And I don´t have to worry about a thing! Just follow the steps. It is NOT about the results. It is the process. How could I ever forget that? I needed to be reminded indeed. Social media can be a good place to be in, when you tangle. But sometimes I need a break  for several reasons. It is nice to find the Zentangle Groups on Fb f.ex. Publishing my tiles there or on Instagram means I get likes and that makes me feel good. If I get comments even better! But there is one side of the coin I have to be aware of: all these likes and nice words can  affect me in a way I don´t want: if I am not careful and aware of this I can easily fall into the trap! I start to think about the results, yes I am rushing for results, which make me loose the focus on the process. And that is harmful.

All this became so clear to me when I took an art-class online 7 months ago and even clearer as I joined a free art-class a couple of weeks ago. This was my problem when I was going to create what I love the most! I WAS rushing for results! What I did to change this was to bring the Zentangle method into my art. No, I don´t use much tangles in my other artwork. But I apply the method working with my colors, papers, glue, or anything. During these months I have not tangled every day. I thought I had got a little lost. But I had not. The every day tangling practice (since 2015) took some days off now and then ok, but only because I was working so hard to get the method going into my paintings! And I started to read the Zentangleblogposts more carefully. Coming to the latest posts I felt relieved and now I am tangling (not posting) every day again. I use the basic tools, I go for the dots in the corners and the string.

The next blogpost: Blog Zentangle made me watch the DVD from the Startkit again (i got that before going to the CZT Seminar 32 in november 2018). Now it is available on YouTube so it is very easy to go back and watch it over and over again. Which I have done for a couple of weeks now. When I first got the DVD I did watch it, but I didn´t explore it this way. I have done the tiles and I loved it as much as i did in the beginning of my Zentangle journey. To watch Maria Thomas tangle and tangle along with her is something I appreciate a lot:

Tile 1 with the basic Z-string

Tile 2 with another basic string

I was happy doing this, tangling with tangles I knew so well and with strings I had done so many times. Then I went on to the third part of the video. Maria Thomas made an elegant loopy string and filled it with a lot of tangles. I just couldn´t follow and tangle at the same time! I decided to first watch, write down the tangles in order and then tangle. My first try on this, I decided to make my own loopy string and find places for the tangles as I went:

Tile 3: my own loopy string

I had not used the spiraling little tangle Scoodle before and Chartz is one I might have done twice.

Tile 4: Trying to copy Marias string.

The last tile I made a little different. I watched Maria tangle again but stopped the video after each tangle and then tangled myself.

Both ways worked well, I had a good time doing this NOT rushing for results but find focus and relaxation.

The last blogpost, Humble beginnings was also such a wonderful reminder of the Zentangle journey. When I started tangling There were no CZT:s to be found nearby where I live in Sweden in 2015. My first guidance was a book by Bekah Krahula: One Zentangle A Day, and I found one of the tiles I did at that time: 

Tile 5: my humble beginnings

  It wasn´t my first tile because I didn´t think of keeping my first one at that time. I always tell my students to keep their first tile, because it is such a treasure to go back and realize what the journey has done! I can see it myself and that is the feedback I need and that makes me proud of myself. Note: I don´t say that I don´t want feedback from others if anyone got that in mind. I belive everyone needs feedback from others and I am no exception. I am grateful for all wonderful comments I have got on my journey and I sure will be further on. What i say is: I have learned a lesson, I am now aware of what it takes to loose focus on the process and be rushing for results! So till next time: Happy tangling! Stay focused on the process!