Zentangle as a Launchpad

Molly writes...

I recently received this note from a CZT. Her story about her Zentangle Journey made me think about the idea that Zentangle acts as a gateway to other creative mediums and how awesome that is.

“I have done a lot of Zentangle and come as far as I want in the Zentangle spectrum. I have recently been delving into the exploration of other art mediums and found my home in fused glass!! But, in saying this, I have never forgotten my first love, Zentangle. I had signed up for a class called, “Survey of Glass at our local college and when it came time to introduce, I basically said that I didn’t consider myself an artist in any form except in Zentangle and then proceeded to try to explain the art of it. So, when it came time for the creation of a final project. I pitched the idea of doing an embossing idea combining Zentangle and glass. My instructor loved the idea!!”

- Nancy L. Zeitler

A Zentangle classroom provides a nurturing, non-judgmental space that supports creative exploration and growth for all types of artists. And one might assume that is the case all art classrooms. However, it is not, and although most of us start as children with vibrant creative spirits, so many of us have that spirit buried by the time we reach adolescence. We meet people regularly in our classes who share stories of giving up on art because someone classified them as not the creative type. Others tell us they had a teacher who graded or critiqued their work as not worthy or not right. Some talk about feeling a sense of competition and expectation of art having to be a certain thing. Others say that it was simply that they never felt acknowledged for their unique approach and differences, and the lack of encouragement left them afraid to pursue anything creative. Years pass, and that creative spirit that we are all born with becomes so far buried that we forget that we ever had it at all, and have perhaps lost faith in ever being able to access it again.

Since I have been teaching this art form, I have observed many positive side effects as a result of practicing the Zentangle Method. One of the most magical ones to witness is people discovering a newfound confidence and curiosity for all things creative. It is almost as if it uncovers that creative spirit that was buried years ago. I think it is because Zentangle draws you in with its accessibility and simplicity, but encourages you to keep going with its supportive structure. It embraces mistakes and finds beauty in all the unique styles that we as humans can have. There are no contests or prizes, and the culture and philosophies allow room for all the different ways to express ourselves with ink on paper. But here is the fun part. It does not end there. Once you find your way as an artist within the structure of the Zentangle Method, you will become more confident and aware of your potential as an artist in general.

It has been amazing to watch friends within the Zentangle community go on to work in other mediums like watercolors, ceramics, mixed media, textiles, glass, and more. It is heartwarming to see people surprise themselves with their ability. It is this beautiful gateway to all the other art forms out there. Once you realize you are a Zentangle artist, you will see that that makes you an artist. And you can take all the parts of the method that you love with you into other art forms. So, for those of you who have already ventured beyond, I applaud you, and to those of you just starting, I encourage you to try something new and see what you find. Just remember - you can always come back for a little crescent moon.