My Gift To You

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. – Pablo Picasso

It’s that time of year again when we spread joy, cheer, friendship, love, and gifts to all our loved ones – and you, my fellow Zen journeyers, are most definitely included! ❤️

I have been distracted by so many things filling my plate lately that I struggled to settle on a new blog topic for this month.  Many thoughts have circled in and around me, but nothing has felt quite right.  I can muse about many things, but nothing seemed to fit for this holiday season.  Then, a spark came during one of my recent morning meditations!

About nine months ago, I received an email about a course teaching the art of Zentangle®.  Of course, the name hooked me, and off I went!  Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas created this method of pattern drawing.  They describe it as “an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns.” 

Almost every evening, you can find me nestled on the couch with Caylee, the Zen puppy, and a sketchbook, doodling away and creating little pieces of artwork. This is a beautiful, meditative way to center my mind and quiet the noise around me.  Often, I am pretty surprised at the drawings I come up with, and I query, “Wow, did I do that?”

These drawing sessions have become another form of meditation for me.  Sitting and concentrating on one line at a time lets me calm down and not think of the million things stacking up on my plate.  All of that can be handled during the daylight hours of tomorrow! 

I have discovered that my imagination has grown as I experiment with different tangles and variations. The possibilities are immense and present themselves in and around everyday things.  Look at patterns on a dish, a carpet, a tile, or brickwork – they can all become new inspirations.  There are millions of ideas in books and on the internet.  I started following along in various instruction books, templates, and videos.  But now I find myself creating my own designs, which is quite fun and confidence-boosting! During my drawing evenings, I can escape, sketch a few tangles, and before I know it, it’s past bedtime!

I have filled up 12 sketchbooks so far and wanted to share some of my better ones for others to view and enjoy! So, my gift to you is a sampling of some of these creations below.  You can find more I have done on my site by clicking here.  I promise I will keep adding more along the way.  To learn more about this art form, please visit and explore www.zentangle.com.

I hope my artwork brings you joy and a smile.  Merry Christmas and the happiest of the holiday season to you and your loved ones!  I am very grateful for your companionship along this Zen Journey with me.

How do you expand your creativity?

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