Julie writes…
September has always been one of my favorite months. Something about it has always been a bit magical. The days are hot, but the nights begin to cool – a subtle shift signaling that a new season is coming. Here in New England, we are returning to our routines as a new school year begins, and there is a collective transition from the fast pace of summer into something more intentional. While not everyone may delight in this change, I have always found it invigorating.
As a child, the highlight of this time of year was the ritual of back-to-school shopping. As a lover of all things stationary, there is nothing that I love more than the sight of fresh notebooks, neatly stacked binders, colorful pens, and perfectly sharpened pencils. I would trade candy aisles for the Post-it note aisles any day of the week. For me, they weren’t just supplies, they were symbols of new beginnings and infinite possibilities.
Now, as an adult, that thrill has not faded. In fact, it has evolved. I have come to appreciate the quiet joy of choosing office and art supplies not just out of necessity, but as a form of celebration. There is something deeply satisfying about picking up a brand-new Micron 01 and a crisp, blank Zentangle tile – it is a moment brimming with potential. If you know the feeling, you know the joy that I am describing.
And yet, even with the freedom to buy supplies year-round, something was missing. It was not just about the materials; it was about the ceremony. The annual ritual of beginning again. New pens and notebooks symbolized more than tools – they marked the start of fresh intentions, renewed goals, and endless opportunities.
I happen to find myself in a new season of life, and I have chosen to honor this transition with my own version of a “back-to-school” shopping trip. A visit to The Counting House provided me with a new Zentangle journal and a fresh set of (NEW…hint hint) pens and some pencils – tools to help me shape the next season with clarity, creativity and purpose.
Wherever you find yourself on your journey, I encourage you to pause. Reflect on your year so far and consider how you will move forward. Use your Zentangle practice to map your thoughts, dreams, and discoveries. Let your journal be both a compass and a canvas as we tangle our way through the end of the year.
Since the beginning of 2024, we've invited you to join us in an ongoing journaling journey—sharing prompts designed to help you pause, reflect, and explore your inner world through the Zentangle Method. The pages and posts you’ve shared online and on the Zentangle Mosaic App have been nothing short of inspiring. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your creative unfolding. It is a privilege we hold with gratitude.
Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for future journal prompts and product announcements! Purchase the NEW Journal Bundle HERE.
To learn more:
In our country pupils in elementary school don’t need to bring supplies to school. In my time they even didn’t sell things like that. Now you can buy pens pencils and that kind of stuff with the latest comics or films pictured on it. So children have to get new things every year…..
When I was twelve I had to go shopping for pens, pencils, notebooks and even a wooden box with paints for drawing classes – just for me. I still remember the exitement.
And I get the same feeling when starting a new journal or a new set of microns.
Maria Vennekens on
Jessica Lee Dykes on
Poh Yen Ho on
Julie, we are kindred spirits. I relate to everything you so beautifully shared. I look forward to seeing what you create in your new journal. Before you know it you will be joyfully shopping for school supplies with your littles.
Marty Greiner on
Thank you Julie for sharing your September thoughts. I could totally identify with the thrill of all the new supplies!! It seemed our children’s school started Sept 4 every year. For some reason, that date stuck with me. We took their first-day-of-school pics and it always seemed like the first day of Fall to me with just a nip of cold in the air!! I still feel the change on September 4th. Thank you for bringing us back to that time of New Beginnings!! Delightful reading.
Susie Talbot on
Peyton on
Thank you for this lovely reflection and reminder, Julie! I, too, always find September to be a reinvigorating month. Even though I am past the years of starting a new school year myself, or with my children, there is something that feels like a fresh start as a new school year begins. I just opened up my kit from ZenAgain 2025 and found myself smiling at the beautiful supplies in it. Thank you again! The tools are signs in and invitations to a beautiful practice of calming creativity. I have found myself again in Zentangle!
Diane Harpster on
Brenda Shaver CZT 8 on
That was very well put, Julie! I, too, cherish this time of year and fondly remember the anticipation of a new school year, along with the joy of brand-new school supplies! It is indeed a wonderful reminder from Mother Nature that growth and change are constant in our world.
Linda Hunter, CZT 31 on
Thanks for all the lovely newsletters we receive from you And zentangle headquaters. I am still grateful of meeting Maria and Rick some years ago and still tangle almost every day. I stopped facebook and instagram, so I don’t share much. It always makes me happy to receive zentangle news, so thank you for keeping us tanglers informed. Many greetings to Maria and Rick and the zentangleteam and… to aunt Rachel.🤩
Stella Peters- Hessels CZT-12 on
Julie, what a beautiful reflection. You’ve captured the hopeful, golden spirit of September—a changing season, a fresh start, delicious Zentangle supplies. Thank you for your quiet inspiration.
Becky Ruiz Jenab, CZT32 on