The Zentangle Method as a GPS

Written by Thiele and a little bit of Molly...

“Rerouting,” “Rerouting.” The message that pops up on our GPS when we take a wrong turn… I can almost hear the AI voice in my head as I type that word.

GPS is an amazing technological advancement… allowing us to get from Point A to Point B seamlessly… as long as we are paying attention. And possibly the best part is that the moment you take a wrong turn, the “bot” says… “rerouting” … and directs you back to the fastest path to your destination. The question is: do we always want to take it?

Just the other day, I was driving on a route I know very well, and I got lost in the podcast that I was listening to. Next thing I knew, I had missed my left turn, and I was headed in a direction (in my own town, mind you) that I had never been before. My GPS quickly suggested that I turn into an upcoming neighborhood to do a U-Turn and get back to my route. I ended up driving a little further in that neighborhood before obeying the directions on my phone… it was fun to see a new part of town! And that is the beauty of a wrong turn or going further than you intended to… you end up adding fresh perspective to your “typical” route.

Now, this is an example of me delaying the quick redirection that was offered to me. But there are times when more immediate rerouting serves us better, like when our minds wander, and we need to gently guide our attention back. This past summer, I completed my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, which included asana and anatomy, but also breathwork and meditation. It was in meditation where the rerouting metaphor really clicked for me. I learned that a successful meditation practice is not defined by a completely clear mind. Rather, meditation is the practice of noticing the thoughts that come to your mind, acknowledging their presence, and then letting them pass without engaging further. It is, at its core, a form of rerouting… rerouting the busyness in your head.

And the same thing happens when you tangle. Just as meditation teaches us to notice thoughts without judgment and gently redirect our attention to our breath, Zentangle invites us to notice our creative impulses and choose whether to follow or redirect them. 
You sit down in your chosen space, your blank tile is in front of you, and you (might) have some idea of the direction you want your tangling to go. You place your dots, draw your string, and off you go… only to find yourself filling a space with a different tangle than you anticipated, or shading much darker than you expected. Your thoughts, when you notice them, may say, “rerouting,” with the goal of leading you back to your original plan. But you dismiss that thought, you relish in the fresh perspective that you have gained while you lost your original path, and you marvel at what you have created.

So, whether you're following GPS directions, sitting to meditate, or tangling on a blank tile, remember that these moments of feeling lost, or choosing to get lost, happen every day, and we have tools to help us decide how to proceed. The Zentangle Method will always guide you from Point A to Point B. Whether that journey is mindless, inviting wrong turns and new sights, or intentional, coming back to your original plan when you veer off, it is the right journey for you that day. You have the agency to “reroute” or to keep driving straight and see what lies ahead!

Keep sharing your beautiful journeys with us on the Zentangle Mosaic app. And if you find that your GPS led you somewhere unexpected on your tile, add the hashtag #TangledGPS

Banner Art: Compass Rose Postcard