Hello Rick and Maria,
I wanted to send you a big "Thank you"! I had such a great time at the CZT #18 Seminar.
Today it is raining here and I wanted to get some tangling done for an up-coming class I am teaching. My 7 year old daughter sat down with me and started drawing. I was floored by how awesome she did. She usually does not sit still for very long. She drew ALL day, with a short break for a walk around the block! She loves finding new patterns and figuring out how they are broken down.
Thank you for this wonderful Method!
Hugs from Colorado! -B
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I was recently introduced to Zentangle by a girlfriend, who took me to an introductory session and I was instantly hooked. It's such a fascinating concept and so awesome, especially for anyone who isn't especially talented artistically.
There are no barriers to success and it's so gratifying when you see the results. It gives one courage they never knew they had.
Thank you so much for introducing this glorious art so everyone can benefit from it in so many ways. I'm so looking forward to my new adventure.
Sincerely, Marilyn
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Dear Rick and Maria,
I've never written in to any group, person or business to tell them my thoughts before, but this time it felt right that I do it.
I have always had a passion for crafts and being creative, however that passion was completely overcome with indifference and a lack of confidence following my being diagnosed with severe clinical depression four years ago. It is well documented that one of the symptoms of clinical depression is the inability to feel happy, inspired or passionate about things you once did. And I can now fully understand that. I think it is cruel that such a disease can not only make you feel so completely desolate and lonely, but it also removes any semblance of self worth and faith in your ability to do things. I would look at my various craft projects and think "why bother doing that when I will only make a mistake and mess it up".
As I work through managing my disability, I thought that art therapy might help. While searching online for ideas I came across Zentangle, and this became my creative turning point - not right away, but eventually.
Zentangle offered me the freedom of not regarding "unintentional" pen strokes as mistakes. As each illustration develops it becomes something quite unique that other people can't judge as being right or wrong, good or bad. Self confidence wasn't needed to get me on the Zentangle "creative path" - just the willingness to be open, unrestricted and let what happens happen. And 4 months ago, while I was an inpatient at a psychiatric rehab hospital and using Zentangle as my own personal method of meditation, something clicked. I realised that while I might have been using books and other people's art for initial inspiration, the elements of the pictures were all mine - the tangles used, the composition, the colours, everything - and I knew that I had my passion for creativity back. And I also managed to get a number of other patients involved in it too.
I live by myself and have no surviving family - just an over-spoilt cat who likes to have her own creative input into my drawings, especially on wet days. Whereas I used to dread coming home to night after night of loneliness and sadness, these days I have something to look forward to doing in the evenings. And now when I get the 3.00am horrors (other depression sufferers will know what I mean) and everything seems at its bleakest, I Zentangle until the darkness passes and I can face life again.
As I said at the beginning, it felt right that I share this with you and thank you for providing me with the opportunity of rediscovering my creative light amongst so much darkness.
With love and best wishes, -D
