Zentangle

I have a friend who is turning 49 in a few days. For the last few months, he has been compiling a LOL (Live Out Loud) List that has 49 things on it that he wants to do before he hits the big 5-0.

On Monday, I celebrated #56 and I am going to LOL like my friend, just not in the organized manner as he is doing. Don't get me wrong, I am a list queen when organization is the priority. I am also a go-by-the-seat-of-my-pants girl; when something looks fun or interesting, it is worth investigating, and a lot of times it is right at that moment.

Through the UDLLI (University of Dayton Lifelong Learning Institute), I am taking a Zentangle class. I love art and I try to do artistic things, but my talents are limited. 

So what is Zentangle? It's a meditative artistic experience using simple, deliberate and repetitive strokes. The patterns look complicated but they are easy to draw and they are built "one stroke at a time." Zentangles are unplanned, but deliberate. The supplies are minimal: paper, pen and pencil...NO ERASER. There are no mistakes in Zentangle. An line that goes errant evolves into a new design. 

Zentangle has many benefits: it reduces stress, improves focus, increases dexterity, promotes better concentration, it's an intuitive art and an experience that you can share with others.

My first Zentangle tile...we created four different tangles on one tile. We used four patterns: crescent moon, floorz, printemps and meer.

Although everyone in the class used the same patterns, each tile turned out differently. It's an art form that mirrors life.