A group of tanglers is called a penchant of tanglers.

Molly writes...

We decided to dedicate a whole month in our 20th year celebration to “Teatime” because of the importance it has in the culture of our company and our family. Teatime represents a time for friends and family to come together. It reminds us of the importance of stopping to catch our breaths and to catch up on the goings on in each other’s lives. It gives us a chance to talk and a chance to listen. It opens a space for empathy and understanding when one of us is going through something and many times ends in laughter. Here at ZTHQ, we are so lucky to have a group of such diverse ages. Our youngest crew member at age 20 and our eldest and wisest, of course, is at age 79. The rest of us almost evenly trickled in decade by decade. We did not plan it that way, it just organically happened. It is a truly magical thing to have people going through different stages of life, with different things to offer. We feed off one another’s experiences, sharing stories, advice and of course, recipes.

When Rick and Maria first discovered the Zentangle Method, they had many ideas and thoughts about how people would use it. They thought people would use it to feel creative. They thought it would be fun. They thought people would take classes with other people and they would enjoy that. They thought people would tangle on their own for their own well-being. They thought it might help people feel more content, more confident and less stressed. And the list goes on. And so many of these things turned out to be true.

One thing that Rick and Maria perhaps did not anticipate was how people would enjoy gathering to tangle with other people. Over the years we have heard the most beautiful stories of people that have become friends through their Zentangle practice. There are groups all over the world of different ages and cultures that gather regularly to tangle. Some that gather in person and others, online. We have heard of some groups that have been gathering regularly for many years. These groups all have different approaches and traditions, but they sit, and they tangle together. They talk, they listen, and they support one another. They offer positive comments and encourage one another with their art. They learn about each other’s lives, and they share the common bond of Zentangle. In these groups you will often see people of different ages and backgrounds connecting with people they might have never considered.

Like teatime, tangle time offers a time for Zentangle friends to come together. It is a beautiful nurturing space where you can let go of your day for a little while, get lost in some tangles and feel the love of the people around you.

After 20 years we are still humbled, and our hearts warmed when we hear stories of people that come together to tangle and just be together. A few years ago, we asked our community to help us pick a word to describe a group of tanglers. One person suggested a “penchant” of tanglers.

We immediately loved this word. The original meaning of this word is, a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something, and that felt fitting. We also liked how when you deconstructed the word you had pen and chant and that also felt fitting as there is a song that we hear in our hearts as we tangle together. This month we honor teatime, but we also honor tangle time and those that put in the effort to create spaces and time for the penchants of tanglers around the world to come together to tangle with each other. That space and time has healed wounds, hearts and minds. And we know how much it means to so many people.

In the comments, let us know what being a part of a penchant of tanglers means to you? Whether that group meets online or in person, once a week or once a year. We will pick a commenter at random to be sent the Penchant Print.

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Thank you to everyone who shared your thoughts on our last blog, International Day of Zentangle. We have randomly selected commenters, Gail Lewis, Pat Stephan, Johnifer Baker and Hilde Van Ginhoven to receive a Zentangle surprise. Pleas send your snail mail address to info@zentangle.com.