Tangled up in Zen
Dear ones,
Today’s self-care strategy is a continuation of the arts-and-creativity theme!
Doodling or drawing repetitive patterns can be very calming as well as increasing our ability to focus. There are lots of resources online for doodle patterns and you may notice that you have your own usual ones that you draw. If you bring some mindful awareness to your doodling it can increase the benefits. There are even electronic options!
Here is one way to doodle just by simply drawing U in a variety of ways. In the link, Amy will invite you to try this with water color and an art journal, but you can skip the water color and just do this on a plain piece of paper with markers, pens, and pencils. Keep it simple for yourself!
Another way to mindfully doodle is through something called Zentangle. This practice is intergenerationally friendly and has its own evidence base. For Zentangle, you will need paper (preferably heavier paper if you have it), black or dark markers, and a pencil... or gel pens also work. Here are some easy ways to get started:
This video is from the founder of Zentangle, Maria Roberts. You will see that she begins with a pencil to set up an area to draw in, and then uses a marker to make patterns. You can just stop the video at each step to try the pattern she just demonstrated. Usually you tangle on a 4 x4 inch piece of paper. But you can also work on square of your larger piece of paper. This video has relaxing music and it starts with some easy patterns to make. The instruction is in the video. Maria will teach some shading, but it is not necessary to do this.
This video gives more verbal instruction and gets you to practice patterns in smaller squares. You can also find videos on YouTube for Zentangle with various patterns, flower doodles, and various other instructive support to make it super easy. You can also search Pinterest and Google on your own to find additional ideas!
One important thing when trying this: Let go of perfection! The wiggly lines and the variety make each of your pieces uniquely beautiful.
Another fun way to make doodling collaborative (with kiddos or any other partner-in-doodling!) is creating scribble art – taking random scribble-doodle lines and turning them into pictures, scenes or stories! This was a favorite pastime of my friend group in high school, with some seriously giggle-worthy results. Not sure if it has been formally researched, but it’s a fun way to pass the time! And this practice of filling in a scribble with different colors or patterns is a blend of doodling and scribble art.
Have a doodle-licious day!
Peace,
Glynn
