To encourage this creative process, Dr. Schooler says, it may help if you go jogging, take a walk, do some knitting or just sit around doodling, because relatively undemanding tasks seem to free your mind to wander productively. But you also want to be able to catch yourself at the Eureka moment.

"For creativity you need your mind to wander," Dr. Schooler says, "but you also need to be able to notice that you're mind wandering and catch the idea when you have it. If Archimedes had come up with a solution in the bathtub but didn't notice he'd had the idea, what good would it have done him?"

"M" writes:

Patti Euler, who just finished your CZT course in May suggested I send you a copy of the piece I just finished.
I've been doing Zentangles about a year now (very soothing on bumpy airplane rides) and wanted to do something special for my 9-year old daughter. (I always look forward to the new tangles in your newsletter)


Thanks "M"!

 
We look forward to seeing what you create!

"ER" writes:

Dear Rick and Maria,

As a new convert to tangling, I want to thank you so much for creating this amazing avenue. I completed basic 101 with Patsy Monk [CZT in Florida] on Saturday and haven't stopped tangling.  As a retired teacher, I find myself extremely active and very bored normally just trying to relax. So when I sit and can concentrate on my sketch pad for hours, it's AMAZING!!!!!!!  Look forward to moving beyond the basics and developing my abilities.  

I'm off on vacation to Greece in 2 days, and have packed my "zentangle equipment" in a little plastic bag in my on board for the long journey. Again, thank you so much.



Hi, Maria.

Just wanted to tell you again that you & Molly did a wonderful teaching job at the Zentangle workshop in North Uxbridge. It was the best 3 hours I've spent in many years.  Couldn't wait to get home & create another Zentangle. You & Rick are brilliant to have created Zentangle & make it into a new world-wide art form. It's also a philosophy & a meditative exercise & an artistic experience & a pile of fun.  Zentangling reduces stress for sure. I was having a very rough day before coming to the class. In minutes I had shed the stress & felt creative & alive & almost like I was doing something forbidden it was so much fun.

I've gone up to the Zentangle site. Spent over an hour of pleasurable activity on it & vowed to return tonight for another round of learning fun.

Again thank you (which hardly seems enough for the rewards I got from both of you).


"TF" writes:

I got my \"kit\" last night when I got home from work - All I can say is \"WOW\" this is amazing.  I watched the DVD today at work during lunch and all I can think about is the endless possibilites and how I want to share this with everyone I know! 

I love all of the Zentangles I have seen on FLICKR and on other sites - amazing and no two alike.  I love this and know that I will become a frequent shopper!

By way of a delightfully accidental discovery . . . we found that 'nzeppel can be done without a "formal" grid. (See here for our original introduction to 'nzeppel.)

Just draw many random crossing lines (as in hollibaugh, but single lines rather than double lines).

Then proced with 'nzeppel to get that beautifully "inflated" result with not much effort. Enjoy!

First a string . . .

Then some lines . . .

And voila!

 

Rick and Maria