Zentangle Books in Mandarin

One of the greatest gifts to come from the Zentangle Method was the opportunity to work with amazing groups of people all over the world. It has truly been a gift to find people of different cultures, religions, professions, ages, abilities, and beyond who share the same passion for the Zentangle Method.
 
We are excited to announce that our friends at Created With Love in Taiwan have been working on an updated mandarin translations of The Book of Zentangle and the Zentangle Primer Vol. 1. These translations, done by a group of Chinese CZTs, are available now.
 
In addition to the original forewords of the books, they have added additional forewords written by people from their country. They have kindly offered us the English translations from these books for us to enjoy and we are pleased to share them with all of you.

Created With Love writes…
 
We can feel the sunshine with slightly warm temperature through the gaps between the clouds in the sky which gives us a feeling as if we are still wandering in the summer season. By turning over the calendar at hand, before we know it, we have slowly stepped into the season of early autumn full of harvest and warmth.
 
In such a beautiful timing of the turning point, we sincerely recommend the Mandarin retranslations of “The Book of Zentangle" and "Zentangle Primer-Volume1." Created with Love (CWL) spent over one year and collaborated with many CZTs to accomplish the retranslations.
 
CWL retranslated with more appropriate and understandable words in Mandarin. CWL wishes to convey the concepts that the co-founders share in these books, such as the origin of Zentangle, its drawing method and the philosophies behind it.
 
CWL has poured the experience and insights learned from holding Zentangle seminars since 2016 into these retranslations. CWL also came to Rick & Maria every now and then, tried to get back to the initial beginning and think about how to make sure these retranslations exactly convey and share the concepts and beauty of Zentangle.
 
In order to deliver a sense of familiarity to the Mandarin readers, CWL put “禪繞”,  the Mandarin characters of Zentangle, into the cover design. In order to deliver reliable quality, CWL actively engaged in paper selection, printing process and typesetting, devoted to offer better reading experience.
 
Whether you are new to the Zentangle Method or is a long-time tangler, we sincerely recommend these two translations. You could always explore new things in each reading.

 
The Book of Zentangle Forward
 A Zentangle Journey. By: Mumu, CZT

 
Rick said in “The Book of Zentangle”:

“We frequently hear this theme from people who practice Zentangle: that their new-found appreciation and awareness of patterns opens up a whole world that was always there; but now is seen as new, fresh, and inspiring

I have been working with a job that doesn’t allow “mistakes.” The code must be programmed correctly, otherwise it will miscalculate the customer's bill. Updating must be done correctly, otherwise the next day customers won’t be able to run their business. Payments must be proceed correctly, otherwise you are rejected immediately. Keep every detail on the track carefully and make sure things don’t get out of control.

I remember that when I first drew Zentangle, my work was full of straight lines, even for an organic tangle, even my mooka was straight as well. As a result, I practiced mooka like crazy. I practiced it surreptitiously in the corner of my notebook during meetings, on the napkin when I waited for the meal, and on the beach when I traveled. After three months, I could easily manipulate the lines of mooka as it turns back to the starting point.

The more tangles you practice, the more you want to know about Zentangle. One day, I learned from my friends that there were Zentangle workshops conducted by CZTs. I finally got in touch with the official materials and books.

Gradually, a voice sounded in my mind: I need to go to the United States to participate in CZT seminar! About four months later, I registered for the CZT training program on Zentangle website. On the first day of the seminar, Maria demonstrated mooka, drawing and guiding: up, round and down. At the moment of following her instructions, I was happy to cry. Oh my God, it’s so easy to draw a mooka. I can curve the lines at will! I told myself that this was part of the reason why I came to a seminar . . . to have the patterns that originally seemed to be complicated turn out to be simple and interesting.

When the works were arranged in a mosaic, the small square bricks lined up the long table, the lines and shadows in each artwork were so different, and there were interesting signatures. CZTs come from different countries, have different skin colors, different religious beliefs, different occupations, different ages, and speak different mother tongues. When CZTs create works together, they just need to be themselves, and when put together they magically become a whole. Just like a CZT described in the Book of Zentangle: "With individual variations combining in a diverse whole." When I touched CZT’s artworks, each one had its own special features; when I arranged them into mosaics, they were so harmonious and full of vitality." As long as you pay a little attention, it is not difficult to find that Rick and Maria's enthusiasm for life and the metaphor of life are hidden in every little detail.

Practicing the Zentangle Method, in the harvest of beautiful works at the same time, and also to open up a valuable exclusive space, one stroke at a time and get along with yourself, to be at present, re-recognize and feel the world. Zentangle arts have a magical memory function for me. When I draw lines, the pictures, sounds and even smells seem to be carved into papers together with strokes.
When I was invited by CWL to become a lecturer of CZT Asia Seminar, on the stage, as long as the pen began to draw familiar tangles on the paper, my mind seemed to open another channel at the same time. With the movement of the strokes, the voice would come out by itself and slowly explain the steps, explain the step-out, tips, stories and experiences related to the tangle. I don't know how all this happened. If it's called a talent, it must be my mission as a CZT.

After becoming a CZT, during my workshops, I always see the participants share their life stories generously with their strokes on a small 3.5-inch square tile. Their life experiences and stories also entered the class naturally. Whether it's a woman who has just lost her father, or a university professor who has been taking care of her husband for decades, or a 4-year-old child who wants to paint together, I deeply feel that they are nourishing me at the same time.

Among them, the most special experience is to teach my mother. My mother, who has never painted Zentangle, has only been looking at my artworks in recent years. Once, I was drawing crazy cadent on the dining table. My mother was observing me at the table for a long time. She said, "This is interesting. I want to try it too." My mother, who was drawing Zentangle for the first time, kept mumbling: "Oh, it's crooked! Oh, it seems wrong. Oh, I can't see clearly. The lines are stuck together."

I always respond to my mother, "It doesn't matter. It's OK. Just draw at will." Mother finished her first Zentangle tile nervously and happily. In that teaching process, it seemed that we went back to the time when I was a child, but my mother and I changed roles; I seem to play the role of a mother, constantly telling the young ME: "This is also very good, just continue to draw!" It made me realize that Zentangle not just changed my present and future, but also changed my past.
 
In April 2016, I participated in a CZT seminar held in Providence.
 
In October 2016, I participated in the CZT Asia Seminar held in Taipei.
 
November 2017, I was invited by CWL to become a lecturer of CZT Asia Seminar.
 
January 2019, Rick authorized CWL to establish the Chinese Zentangle Association (CZA).
 
In October of the same year, Rick & Maria came to Taipei to participate in ZenAgain-Asia.
 
In 2020, CZT English translation volunteers are committed to releasing Chinese subtitles of Zentangle Project Pack series videos at the same time.
 
In March 2021, on the warm seaside balcony, on my computer screen, is the Chinese version of the book of Zentangle review. On the left book shelf, is the original English version that signed by Rick and Maria in 2016. All of a sudden, a torrential rain came down, and the neem leaves downstairs made a pleasant sound. Just before the rain, I saw a CZT story in the book, which tells the place where the hand-made quilting and Zentangle share the same feelings. This sudden spring rain has quietly extended the joy of reading and sharing to the whole courtyard, the swaying leaves, the new green grass, the ground gradually changing from light gray to dark gray, the semi wet orange wall, and various subtle sounds.

Now, due to proofreading the translated manuscript, I have the opportunity to read this book word by word again, and recall my journey to Zentangle. This journey is like drawing a new string for my life. Since then, things I have never thought about and done have naturally happened one by one. The metaphors and ideas in Zentangle unconsciously influenced and changed many of my future choices, and then changed the trajectory of my own life.

I hope more people like me can open up a world with Zentangle's intelligent concepts and simple and interesting art forms through this little book. Let's read about the Zentangle Method and let Zentangle enter the journey of your life. Let's do beautiful things together, do things that make others feel calm and happy, enjoy the fun of creation and share the fun of creation.

We look forward to your participation!

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Zentangle Primer Volume 1 Forward
By Chin-Fong
 

Complex modern information civilization has created all kinds of mental disorders, which makes people lose their inner peace and joy while pursuing high efficiency. Therefore, various methods of meditation, mindfulness and being at presence provide modern civilized people with an opportunity to return to simplicity. The Zentangle Method may be one of these methods, which is quite suitable for beginners to return to simplicity. Let me share more about it with you.
 
The main axis of modern civilization is the operation of capital, the prosperity of science and technology and the explosion of information. As a modern people, absorb endless knowledge every day, and then use his/her intelligence to digest information as soon as possible, so as to improve their work efficiency and achieve greater achievements.

The advantage of this kind of civilization is the great increase of productivity and material abundance, but the obvious disadvantage is the exhaustion of nature and spirit. The so-called spiritual attrition refers to that in the era of a large amount of information, the mind is required to operate rapidly to cope with the endless changes. However, the result of the mind without rests is that civilized people begin to lose their inner focus, and at the same time lose their inner peace and tranquility. A person who has lost his inner focus will show a state of irritability, uneasiness, tension, lack of patience and trust, which is the so-called spiritual depletion and lack of soul peace.
 
When a whole generation is suffering from general anxiety due to spiritual depletion, it means that the trend of material civilization has come to the moment of correction. Laozi said, "five colors make people blind, five sounds make people deaf, five tastes make people have no appetite, and galloping in the field makes people crazy." The mind habitually focuses on the outside and gains the instant satisfaction of all kinds of senses, but it also loses the true inner sense. Therefore, various methods of meditation emerge according the demands. By subduing the compulsive operation of the mind, the restless civilized people can return to peace of mind.
 
Once the noise of the mind begins to quiet, then life, which has always been hidden behind the dynamic mind, really begins to show itself. At this time, a deep peace will begin to emerge, and many modern mental disorders can be cured automatically without medicine. Those who have already prepared for it are more likely to be open-minded and have a glimpse of the truth of life.
 
However, there are different groups of these meditation methods, not all of them are suitable for meditation, nor can everyone master the skills of being in the zone. But anyone who has a pen, a piece of paper, a proper guide, and can draw simple lines can almost begin to experience the Zentangle Method.
 
The process of the Zentangle Method is to simply repeat strokes, but it is this simple process that condenses a kind of concentration, which makes people let go of the past and future, and also shelves the worries of inertia in the mind. The effect of letting go of worries has made Zentangle of extraordinary value to civilized people, while long-term concentration and calmness will open up greater possibilities in one's deep mind.

Although I have not participated in a CZT seminar, so my understanding of Zentangle is limited, but the concentration and being at presence in each experience is a strong feeling that I am familiar with. Therefore, I don't have the professional knowledge of Zentangle, and I can't tell you what kind of interesting paintings you will finish. However, the deep Zen flavor and presence flavor in the process of Zentangle is the reason why I give high praise to Zentangle.
 
Of course, we realize that the calmness is brought by Zentangle is not the end, and the return to the simplicity of mind is the longer-term journey. In this process, if the clarity of heart is accompanied by insight into one's own beliefs, it is also a great gift of Zen circle to its players.
 
In a word, for a modern soul who is eager for precipitation, the Zentangle Method is worth a try!

To celebrate the release of these retranslations, Created With Love is offering giveaways for the retail orders placed by the end of September. Please refer to this link to have more information.