Described as a meditative art form, Zentangle is a way of drawing patterns based on these elemental strokes: dots, lines, c-curves, s-curves, and orbs. Anyone, at almost any age can learn to Zentangle. One of my favorite things about this beautiful, non-representational art form is that there is no wrong way to draw the patterns, and there are no mistakes. Now, that’s ideal for perfectionists like me, though I suspect that I’m not the only creator out there in close contact with the committee of critics in my head.
The Zentangle Method is an 8-step process that includes pausing to find a moment of gratitude before beginning and also appreciate what you have created at the end. A gratitude practice is directly correlated with happiness and stress reduction, and is a learned skill that can bring us directly to the present moment. Appreciating your creation is another opportunity to pause and intentionally move away from the strong negative bias that is a part of all of us. This article from Positive Psychology suggests we “take a little longer than you usually would to enjoy it. Engage fully in the good sensations, happy thoughts, and pleasant emotions that you feel and make a note of what you enjoyed about it.” That sounds like a compelling invitation to get present and train us away from our negativity bias!
The Zentangle Method continues to be studied by scientists in various fields. Results are
consistent in showing the following:
reduced stress, anxiety, depression, and negative affect
improved focus, self-compassion, self-efficacy and sense of well-being
developed creativity and problem-solving capacity
increased ability to enter a mindfulness state
The data findings are not a surprise given the intention of the creators of the Zentangle Method. Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts tell the story of when Maria, an accomplished designer and calligraphy artist, was in her studio working on an art piece and Rick was calling out to her to let her know lunch was ready. She didn’t hear him. After calling multiple times, he went to the studio to get her and asked her why she hadn’t responded when he had called out to her. She told him that she didn’t hear him. It was this moment that he realized her state of flow or “being in the zone” through the creative process is exactly the state he knew from his many years of practicing meditation. The Zentangle Method was born out of their dedication to sharing this accessible opportunity to practice a meditative art form with the world.
So, is Zentangle a Meditation? Yes, being present in this moment, curious about where the stroke of a pen leads, knowing there are no mistakes and no failures in Zentangle does make it a meditation. Bonus points for finding a state of flow…
Curious about trying Zentangle? There are a few ways to do that with us...
Join A Mindful Line for Creating Calm Workshops, many of which are focused on Zentangle.
You can also download this FREE Zentangle Primer to get started right away.
Finally, we have launched a NO-Fail Zentangle Course for Self-Care.
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