In this occasional series on TanglePatterns, readers describe in their own words how Zentangle® has changed their lives. For more accounts in this series, click on the “STORIES” link in the alphabetical listing above.
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I am a freelance book editor, and my focus is mentoring beginning authors. The work is very intense. It requires total concentration through 300, 400, and sometimes 500 pages of manuscript. I have to go slowly because the new authors make many mistakes, not only in spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc., but in creating plots, building characterization, writing realistic dialogue, and so on.
After a couple of hours, I feel as if my head is going to explode.
I recently completed six Zentangle classes, and the meditation is a godsend for me. When I am mentally exhausted from reading and cannot do one more page, I take out my tile and my pen. The process is so completely different from editing, it grounds and calms me and clears my head. After a while, I’m able to go back to the manuscript.
I have been completing one tile per day, taking several breaks from my reading, and my editorial output has increased as a result. ~ Laurie R.
Zentangle by Laurie R., used with permission.
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If you would like to share your own experience for this series, please email me (linda [at] tanglepatterns [dot] com). You can make your story as long as or short as you like and if you wish your personal details to remain private, I will certainly honor that.
By publishing your “testimonials”, I’m hoping it will help spread the word about Zentangle to many others who can REALLY benefit from it. As the Zentangle founders say, “Anything is possible, one stroke at a time.”™
August 5, 2012 | 
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Love that story, zentangle is great for “rebooting” our minds. I need to sign up for another class myself. Thanks for sharing your story.
It’s great to read these stories. When I’m out and about I tangle whatever’s handy – local newspaper, my Sudoku pad, paper table napkins, coasters, anything will do! If it doesn’t jump out of the way, it gets tangled.
I have a disease that causes me total exhaustion.I sit mostly outside on my deck during the summer. Instead of watching TV and nap I tangle most of the time. I was introduced to zentangle at the creative festival show in Toronto. I had the feeling going to this show I might find a new hobby that does not take to much energy. Since that time I do a tangle almost every day. I am every time surprised at my creations. I love it. I am so exicited, now I can create and feel so peacefull. I do not have to perform, it just comes to me. I feel it also helps with my healing, I am happier and positive. When I feel down I tangle. It changed my outlook on live. I also use watercolor pencills to put some colour into my creations as well as colour pens, this makes it at times very exciting as well. I am very gratefull for this website it gives a lot of ideas about different tangles. Thank you so much.
I work with Veteran’s of Iraq and Afghanistan, and I use tangles in my work. It unlocks creativity, increases concentration, and helps calm anxiety. Many of those I treat through The Coming Home Project have reported long lasting effects using this technique.
I too tangle anything that doesn’t run away!
Dear Linda,
I hate to have to bother you again about this. For the past couple of months, I have not been getting the weekly
Tangle review.
Thank You, Beth Schmitz.
Hi Beth, I have edited your comment and replied to your questions by email – if you don’t see my email in your inbox please check your spam folder. I checked for your email address and it is not subscribed to the newsletter. This is a service run by Google Feedburner and I’m not able to add email addresses myself, this protects people from spam. This is a two-step system where you (1) sign up yourself and then (2) confirm the subscription by clicking a link in the email you receive from them. Subscriptions don’t begin until the second step is completed.
I’ve added an FAQ page to TanglePatterns about changing or adding an email subscription on the “About” menu, here’s the direct link https://tanglepatterns.com/about/how-to-change-your-email-subscription
Please reply to my email so I know you’ve received it. Thanks!