Full Circle

Molly writes...

Life is a phenomenal adventure of overlapping circles. Since the beginning, our small company has found itself on a glorious journey, guiding us in all directions and around and around until many times we feel as though we come full circle, back where we started.

Zentangle HQ began, and is still headquartered in, the small village of Whitinsville, Massachusetts. When Rick and my mom started out, they were inspired to share this new art form with whoever was willing to be their participants. After teaching some close friends and neighbors they soon set out to find other students. Maria instantly thought of her dear friend Dennis, who was the executive director of a local non-profit with the mission to provide fulfilling services to adults with mental health challenges and/or developmental disabilities. The staff there is passionate and invested in their work and this often leaves little room for self-care. Rick, my mom, and Dennis decided to give a class for the staff of this amazing organization. This 2004 class became one of the early organized Zentangle classes that Rick and Maria taught. Rick, Maria, and the Zentangle staff continued to be very involved with the organization in different ways.

(Above: view of Whitinsville from the mill balcony)

For years classes were held at their headquarters in this beautiful old, renovated Mill, for the community and individuals served by the organization. There were events, among other things that brought many Zentangle enthusiasts together. We even used their beautiful little theater space to broadcast our last two online Seminars.

Recently, we once again found ourselves amongst friends at the little mill in Whitinsville, brought together by the Zentangle Method. Many came for the beautiful gallery opening of a show titled, "Beyond Zentangle." The exhibit was comprised of artwork that displayed an artist’s departure from their Zentangle practice to other creative art forms. The art was wonderfully poetic and each piece told their story.

We were thrilled to meet new friends and artists and reunite with old friends and Zentangle enthusiasts. There was even one person that attended that first class Rick and Maria taught at the Mill. She later became a Certified Zentangle Teacher and moved away but we were so delighted that she came halfway across the country to reconnect and share her beautiful Zentangle inspired artwork in this exhibit. Life really does come full circle.

And speaking of full circles . . . back in the day when this was a working mill, Maria's dad was a trucker and made deliveries here, and Rick's dad, uncle, and aunt worked for years at the mill . . . possibly in the same rooms as the gallery or the classes were held!

We want to extend a special thank you to Cristi Collari and the team at ValleyCast who organized this beautiful exhibit which will remain on display through September 1, 2022. 

You can view the online exhibit below. (When you view this video, use your cursor or click the navigation circle in the upper left to "walk" around.)