Advice for New Tanglers

Recently this year, several of my Zentangle peers have referred to me as being “Fearless”…I laughed at that at first…and then realized I have been fearless with my approaches to Zentangle. It is very empowering to have this confidence…as an artist and as a woman. I try to role model and instill this fearless attitude into my students. It is just ink and paper…but it can become way more than that, when the confidence of an otherwise insecure person begins to soar! So yes, be fearless and believe in yourself!

My advice to new tanglers is to focus on what’s in front of you at this moment; don’t compare your work to mine, or the other students, or Maria and Rick. Keep returning to your breath, the feeling of the ink flowing into the paper, the experience of this stroke, this moment, right now. That’s all that matters. The process is what matters; the product is secondary. I also talk about wabi-sabi when they begin criticizing themselves. The beauty to be found in imperfection. The comfort in curved and crooked lines, the homey familiarity that makes us love slightly worn and shabby things. It amazes me how many older adults are highly self-critical. Doing Zentangle brings that to the surface and it can be quite painful for some. If I’m working with someone one on one, I tell them how courageous it is to try something new that seems intimidating to them. How brave they are!

I am a CZT and have been teaching for more than a year now. The most challenging think I face is people are not ready to draw, they thi k they don’t have the desired skills and are very much bothered about the end result.

I would advice the new tanglers to have an open mind, it’s all in your mind, you can draw if you decide to do so..nothing is difficult..just have an open mind..other things will fall in place once you start drawing! :)

When I teach, I liken learning tangles to learning handwriting. When first introduced, you create letters just as you are taught. After practice and use, you develop a style of writing all your own. It is the same with tangles, they become an expression of yourself and flow off the pen like words of a sweet sentiment.

Take a breath, draw a line. Repeat. Repeat again. Soon your breathing and drawing will procede on their own. And then … smile! Just look what you’ve created! And I bet you enjoyed every moment. :)

I am not a CZT. I enjoy letting the world slow down as I take up my tile and get inspired by the ONE, which is the featured pattern on a Facebook group called Square One: Purely Zentangle. Love seeing how others feature this same pattern into so many beautiful works of art. This keeps my interest when I can just hop on and go. There is no judgement, just encouragement and community. Love the peace that is shared with this form of art.

The novelty of the materials opens them to a new experience from the start. The tile, the pen, the pencil and tort are all so new. This really helps newbies to let go of what they think they know about their creative abilities.

If you’ve never done anything like this before – like me when I first discovered Zentangle – practicing all types of new tangles helps develop confidence with the pen and making different kinds of strokes.

As you practice you’ll inevitably find a comfort level with certain tangles that become your “bread and butter”, go-to tangles. Approach new tangles as a puzzle to be solved. One stroke at a time. And enjoy the process of learning what feels right and fun to YOU. Where this takes you is your own personal path of discovery.

Many tanglers, including my dear nearly 90-year-old Mom, enjoy the peace and zen of simply learning how to draw new tangles and practicing their favorites — with or without Zentangle tiles.

We are each different so use your practice to discover what gives you joy and follow that path. Above all, enjoy the process.

I once wrote in a Tangle Refresher (#107), “In my view, Zentangle has changed the landscape of the art world by making it inclusive for anyone who can pick up a pen to experience the personal joy of creativity and artful self expression.”

Feel the gratitude for (re)discovering your innate creativity.

Let your pen flow and your mind be still! Try not to think ahead and the pen will guide you💜

breathe as you draw. In and out. breathe with your lines.

Remember how forgiving the eye is when looking at Zentangle art – what you may think is a ‘mistake’ or an imperfection is not likely to even be noticeable to anyone but you, so be kind to yourself and let go of perfection. :)

Go with the flow, be open to new possibilities, always trust yourself and the process, share your joy and most of all enjoy and be grateful for the journey!

We talk initially about preparing your self before starting … take a moment to clear your mind and breathe a deep slow breath. Then pick up the ink. Our tip is to slow down and not rush… it is not a race…take a breath, hold it a moment, then slowly exhaling before you start again.

Wait to play with color until you’ve spent some time getting acquainted with the original method of Zentangle. It’s so tempting to want to jump in and try ALL THE THINGS… but you lose some of the benefits of Zentangle when you start offroading into other methods (color, stencils, origami, crafty things, etc). Those things are not bad, but if you stay on the path for a while, you might be surprised where it takes you!

Tangle often…… Embrace Imperfection. Practice makes Progress!

Don’t fall into the trap and trying to learn as many tangles as you can, as quickly as you can. Treat each tangle as an acquaintance with a view to becoming old friends. You will be amazed by the surprising number of tangleations (variations) you can create with just a little imagination and persistence. The beauty is in the journey, the art the destination – Julie Allison, CZT.

I personally ‘need’ to tangle for medical reasons, so I say even if you only do half a pattern at a time, do ‘something’ every day, don’t be concerned about ‘finishing’ a tile…….it is the act of sitting down and MINDFULLY making one or more strokes, which I feel is important, it is the “one stroke at a time” which matters.

Strive for one stroke, one day, lived mind-fully…….trust YOUR hand, YOUR pen.

Maria gave me advice at my CZT seminar six years ago, words I will never forget. And that is to always know that my art is “good enough”. I was a real art newbie only finding the ZM one month prior to CZT training. I had never drawn a thing and accidentally found the ZM when my sister was in hospice care. It helped me manage my chronic pain and anxiety. When Maria came around to see how we were doing, I hid my tile under the table. (LOL.. funny but true). Maria asked what was wrong and I told her my work wasn’t good enough. She knew I had a five year old granddaughter and asked me what I would tell her if she brought her artwork to show me. Of course I said I would tell Cecilia her art was beautiful! And Maria told me that mine was beautiful TOO! I will never forget that moment as long as I live and I encourage my students the same way.

I tell my new students that Zentangle is magic. They draw just one line at a time and when they finish and put down their pens…they can’t believe it. And that feeling continues just about every time. It’s also important to teach that lines become steadier and more confident with practice…I can’t begin to think how many hours I have put in!

Enjoy the process! Try not to get ahead of yourself and start thinking about what you hope your tile will end up looking like. Be in the moment. Get familiar enough with the 8 steps that they become second nature and just breathe and tangle with gratitude underlying each stroke.

Also, seek out the tangle groups on Facebook! They are active groups of fellow Zentangle Zealots and offer a place to ask questions, post your tangled pieces, encourage others, and be encouraged! The “Anything Goes – Tangled Art for Everyone” Facebook Group is a welcoming community where you can see tangled pieces of all kinds, from Students and CZTs.

My advice would be to use good materials: do not save the real Zentangle tiles because you’re waiting for your tangling to be ‘good enough’. Work with tangles you like and find your own style. Enjoy the trip down the rabbit hole – there’s a whole new creative world at the bottom! It’s about the process, not the end result.

Every Tangle is an adventure. Enjoy the journey.

Study the artwork of others … take note of tangle variations, how they add enhancers and shading, and how shaky lines help define their style.
I keep a card in my tangling kit listing the enhancers to remind me what an almost finished tile might be missing. To that list I added Contrast and Proportions. Maria once wrote a post about Proportions (the Golden Ratio) … 1/3 to 2/3 ratio in art … 1/3 light to 2/3 dark OR 1/3 dark to 2/3 light.
Spend time getting to know a tangle, find your own short-cuts and create variations.
Some tangles, no matter the approach, trip me up. I think of when I learned to write in first grade. Using rougher paper (newsprint) with wide lines and a pencil we wrote slow and big. So, that is what I do with a tangle I can’t finagle. Micron on a tile has a pleasant flow, but pencil on newsprint automatically has a slower drag. I force myself to draw even slower and I make the tangle very large. Then I practice more, with a faster hand as I gradually draw the tangle smaller. When I feel like I’ve got it, I either go to a journal and practice with a micron, or I go directly to a tile.
There are going to be tangles you love, and high anxiety tangles that you want to snub (for me its grids). Bucky was that panic mode, teeth-gritting tangle for me. I spent a week exploring Bucky … I found if I use a light pencil to draw the grid, and use a micron on the guts of the grid pattern, the tangle comes to life. I simply shade with the graphite grid lines. Now I smile when tangling Bucky.

“Tangle it’s contagious! Pass it on!”