Zentangle Method and Japanese Tea Ceremony

I will explain the Zentangle Method and how it ties back to what I learned through Japanese tea ceremony.

1. Appreciation / Gratitude

Take a deep breath and be grateful for the opportunity. Also, take time to appreciate the tools in front of you. The Zentangle tiles are a heavy-weight and acid-free paper made out of 100% cotton. The edges and corners are left uneven to remind us that we are not pursuing perfection. The Sakura Pigma Micron Pen is professional grade, acid-free and an archival. Your drawing will not fade or smudge once it’s dry.

 

2. Four corner dots 

With a graphite pencil, draw four tiny dots near each corner. There’s not a whole lot to elaborate here… As long as you have four dots somewhere near each corner, you are good to go. Easy enough, right

 

 

 

3. Border

Connect dots with a graphite pencil to create a border. The line doesn’t have to be straight. It can be wavy, curvy… (wibbly, wobbly, timey wimey as Dr. Who might say). I went for straight-ish lines in my example here.

 

 

 

4. String 

Just draw a few random lines with a graphite pencil. The lines can cross each other, loop around… however you feel like. Don’t overthink it. Pretend you are 3 years old and go for it! The string will create smaller sections on your tile and free your mind from worrying about composition. I drew a zigzag on mine this time.

 

 

5. Tangle

Now it’s time to pick up your black pen and start filling each section with a tangle of your choice. Again, don’t overthink. You can pick a tangle just by rolling a dice. (I’m not joking. The Zentangle Kit comes with a dice.) At this point, you may start freaking out a little. Pen? What if I make mistake? Remember, the goal here is not to create a perfect piece. It is about enjoying the process. There are no mistakes in Zentangle, only opportunities. If you made a “mistake”, it is actually an opportunity to create your own unique style.

A. I started with a tangle called ‘Crescent Moon’ on the bottom left corner.

B. I drew ‘Crescent Moon’ in slightly different way in another section.

C. I picked ‘Beeline’ for the upper right corner, and filled the last section with ‘Hollibaugh’.

6. Shading

There are many beautiful doodle arts and Zentangle inspired arts (ZIA) without any shading. But shading definitely adds depth and drama to your piece, and provides an opportunity to make the piece uniquely yours. You can see the difference it makes in this example.

7. Initial / Sign

You are almost done! Now it’s time to put your signature on your art like a pro. For a small piece like the Zentangle tile (3.5 inch square), it’s probably more fitting to just initial than sign your entire name.

 

 

 

8. Appreciation

We are so accustomed to go from one thing to the next. Let’s take a moment to appreciate your art, your friends’ art, the uniqueness of each person and their art, and your experience above all.

Let me share a beautiful Japanese expression, “Ichi-go ichi-e (one time, one meeting)”. It means that this gathering never happened in the past and will never happen in the future. You may see the same person in the same context again, but each meeting should be appreciated and treasured as a one time opportunity.

This expression is believed to have been coined by one of the most renowned tea masters of the 16th century. He underwent Zen training and his philosophy of tea ceremony is still studied and carried on today. Japanese tea ceremony is not about making and drinking a delicious cup of tea. The tea that is served at a tea ceremony may actually be too bitter and undrinkable if you are unaccustomed to it. It is about appreciating and enjoying each moment while the tea is ceremonially made and served. It is an art that values the journey itself, just like Zentangle.

Let me repeat. Let’s take a moment to appreciate your art, your friends’ art, the uniqueness of each person and their art, and your experience above all. You will never have the same experience ever again.