The Zentangle: The Drawing That Helps Us Meditate

Zentangle is a drawing method that repetitively uses all geometric and curvilinear shapes. The aim is to induce calm and meditation through the structured lines that form those beautiful images. The technique is simple to understand, as well as being relaxing and fun.

The creators of Zentangle, Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts, argue that anyone can produce beautiful images. The main objective is to increase concentration and creativity, as well as to give a strong feeling of well-being through artistic satisfaction.

It all stems from the fact that we neglect a fundamental part of our essence when we forget the importance of the cult of art as a form of life. The Zentangle method is meant to be a way to “free ourselves”.

What you need to know about the Zentangle method

According to the creators, the method is simple to understand and it is easy to have fun with it even if you are convinced that you are not proficient with colors and painting. Understanding the Zentangle method and creating a small masterpiece is like learning the secret behind a magic trick.

Each line is realized in a conscious and meditated way, as if it were thoughts, words or deeds. In other words, we put on paper everything that is relevant in our life.

It doesn’t matter what comes out: the important thing is to connect our mind with our hand and the card. This allows us to create new thoughts and perspectives, which helps us flow and focus on the present. This is why the use of eraser is not allowed, because it is as if we are erasing ourselves.

Not knowing what will come out is therefore intentional, it is a freedom and a challenge at the same time. Initially, the non-existence of a predefined solution can be irritating, as we have been accustomed from an early age to looking for the perfect solutions. Let’s see what we need point by point:

• Each Zentangle tile prototype measures 8.89cm per side. You can use any type of textured paper without lines; it is preferable that it is white and of the indicated dimensions.
• You have to start drawing a line and continue by repeatedly crossing the type of line you are creating.

• The idea is to finish the drawing in a single session of 15 minutes or more. In this way, the feeling of victory and satisfaction can be achieved quickly even by those who do not have much time available.
• When making a Zentangle design, you need to recreate a personal, intimate and unique environment. Blending your feelings with the Zentangle tiled card will make you feel wonderfully relaxed and connected.

What does Zentangle give you

In other articles we have talked about the emotional and cognitive benefits we get by coloring mandalas and other designs. However, Zentangle goes a step further, as it fosters creativity by showing us that we too can produce beautiful illustrations.

This is how, making us move away from the awareness of space-time, Zentangle:

• It relaxes us deeply.
• If we practice this activity before going to sleep, it helps us get rid of insomnia.
• It pushes us to appreciate our abilities more.
• It integrates us into a community of support and fun (on social networks there are several groups and pages about it).
• It nurtures and develops our creative skills.
• Train our brains and our minds.

Characteristics of the Zentangle method

It is no surprise that art and creativity help us connect with ourselves ; it is an aspect that too often we put aside and that, instead, allows us to free ourselves from our routine of activities and duties.

Zentangle helps us to establish an inner non-verbal language of figures and proportions, which opens the door to new perspectives that are usually hidden, blocked. Like the mandala technique, this method is a form of “modern meditation”. We use quotation marks since Jung already used geometric models and archetypes as therapeutic tools in his time. The fact that the result is not prefabricated helps us to conceive of life as a rainbow of colors and not black and white.