My Tile's Got the Blues

Martha writes...

It’s late winter, here in New England. This time of the year comes with some challenges, yet also great beauty and potential. We find ourselves in the midst of the winter blues, longing for springtime temperatures and longer days. It’s a time for indoor activities, deep cleaning, reading and of course… tangling! 

I recently dove into a fairly large composition, in fact it, was Zentangle Project Pack No. 29…maybe you’ve heard of it? As is often the case, we at ZHQ follow along with all lessons as they are being filmed. This particular day was filled with the usual activities, along with cleaning up after a heavy snowfall, which adds its own set of exhaustive chores. As the day was coming to an end, I found myself with a bit of time to sit.  

No matter the season, somewhere between daylight and darkness there is a magical time when the light of the day softens. I was picking up where I had left off, already having spent a few hours tangling on my composition. I should note that this particular moment started out in a well-lit space. With focus and deliberation, I was tangling away to my heart’s content. It was just what I needed in that moment, and I was lost in the creative space. Quite imperceptibly, the light in the room faded and I found myself sitting in the dark. As it happens, darkness may not be the best place for fine pen-work. Or is it? 

With a sudden new perspective (by this I mean someone turned on the lights!), I discovered that I had picked up the wrong pen: a luscious blue micron. No worries, you say? Well, this project was focused on black and white and shades of gray, and I was committed to the theme, enjoying the elegance of these limits in my creative process. Now, midway through, I have blue and black ink melting from one into the other throughout the piece as my tangles evolved from one to the next.  

The “assignment” was to use black, white and gray. Where did this pen even come from? I was conflicted by this unintended addition, but still I kept admiring my work. How the blues brightened the page! I know, I know, there are no mistakes. However, I was still struggling with my own projections of what my finished piece might look like. I put down the pens, I took a breath, and walked away for a while.  

Did the discovery of using a blue pen erase the enjoyable time I spent tangling? Of course not! When I came back to the project, I saw the beauty in my work and what the blues were adding. With fresh eyes, I remembered why this method works so well. Believing in the "no mistakes" philosophy actually takes practice, and like anything you do over and over, you get better at it each time.   

My piece is finished now. I continued with purpose and used both the black and blue pens almost interchangeably. The result is mysterious and moody, and I could not have designed it this way. Looking back, I realize that maybe creating in this hour of dusk further assisted my creative flow state. Without precise lighting, I was able to tangle by feel and instinct, past the point where I was consciously assessing every decision. That hazy contentment helped me relax and simply follow my pen where it wanted to go, deep into the blues and back again.