Tangle Refresher 221 – How Zentangle Changes Lives; our random string; plus how to draw Quabog, Zap, Pooma, Corkin, Spurtle

Welcome to our occasional Buried Treasure explorations where we dig up gems from the past on the site.

Given the turmoil and all the pandemic experiences we’ve been through together in the last YEAR !?!, I thought today would be perfect for revisiting and updating a Refresher from the past about how Zentangle® has changed lives.

I’m sure there are new stories out there to be shared with our community and I invite you to share yours (instructions for how to do that are given below).

Recently I found myself on the TanglePatterns page containing all the personal accounts readers have shared describing in their own words how Zentangle® has changed their lives. It is powerful and inspiring reading.

The creative satisfaction (exhilaration?) we experience is an obvious benefit of the Zentangle Method™, but the unexpected emotional, psychological and even physical benefits are often not honored as much as they could be and that’s what this occasional series aims to spotlight.

When I began the series I wrote,

“One of my greatest, and most unexpected, rewards in running TanglePatterns.com is receiving comments and emails from fellow tanglers thanking me for the site and describing how Zentangle® has changed their lives. It is a wonderful feeling to know you’ve made a difference in a person’s life. Of course the real difference is what the gift of Zentangle has given, but I’m honored to help in my way through TanglePatterns.

For some time I’ve been sharing some of these stories (not private details) with friends and family, and it seems to me that these should be shared more widely. Many of you are new to this art form and I’m not sure you are aware of how Zentangle has helped so many people in dealing with some really tough challenges in their lives.“

Here are some of the challenges shared in inspiring testimonials of how Zentangle has made a difference in someone’s life:

• Relief from chronic hand pain, and depression and anxiety
• Healing after a traumatic brain injury
• Dealing with loss and grief
• Overcoming artist block
• Overcoming fear of failure
• Dealing with loneliness and loss
• Respite and relief for caregivers
• Overcoming panic attacks
• Relieving mental exhaustion and increasing productivity
• Providing relief from medical withdrawal and Parkinson’s Disease
• Healing a broken heart
• Improving hand control from effects of Parkinson’s Disease
• Improving hand control after mini-strokes
• Accomplishment after loss of vision in one eye
• Handling ADHD and anger management issues
• Handling the challenges of “loss, age-related physical conditions and the sometime resulting depression”
• Finding confidence and having fun drawing
• Helping cope with devastating loss
• Helping express feelings without words
• Changed life of manic depressive, bipolar tangler, renewing her outlook on life and reviving her creative interests
• Disabled, bedridden tangler finds life is richer and depression is dealt a blow through Zentangle
• New tangler discovers unexpected benefits beyond the Zentangle art form
• Helped get through rehab after major surgery and relieve restless leg syndrome (RLS)
• A life saver for caregiver whose husband had a stroke and now has Lewy Body Dementia (LBD)
• Helped get through pre-op procedure without anesthesia

You can read the full account of these inspiring stories in each person’s own words by visiting the STORIES tab in the pink alphabetic tangle menu bar as shown below at the green arrow.

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 will remain anonymous.

I’d love to share your inspiring story …

.oOo.

Many tanglers like to use these occasional Tangle Refreshers as their Zentangle® challenge-of-the-day.

This TanglePatterns String was selected for today – either to go with today’s Buried Treasure or just to use as a starting point for your day’s tangling. The RANDOM TANGLE SELECTOR in the left sidebar makes it simple to choose a String-of-the-Day from the 250 free strings in our resource. Or just click on the STRINGS tab in the pink alphabetic tangle menu bar and choose one at random yourself.

Think of this as your tangle Challenge, if you’re so inclined. TanglePatterns String 122 is from CZT Adele Bruno and was originally posted here.

Remember that Zentangle strings are always drawn freehand in pencil so that they magically disappear when you’ve finished tangling the tile.

A string is a simple device to “divide your drawing surface into sections to be filled with tangles“.

In the Zentangle PRIMER Vol 1 (now available in paperback for $23.95, or as an instant download Kindle Edition $9.99) there’s an entire section devoted to Strings which in part explains:

“As you tangle, your strings disappear as if by magic. This adds to the charm and unified appearance of your completed art.

If you had used a pen to draw your string, you would still see the initial sectioning in your completed creation.“

Strings are not intended to be the focal point of your tile, Zentangles should not look like coloring book drawings.

More String advice from The Book of Zentangle (now available in paperback for $19.95):

“A string is a useful reference, but it is not an impenetrable barrier. Practice going outside your string. It will help increase your ability to think outside the box.“

To download eBooks containing all 250 TanglePatterns Strings, visit the STORE > EBOOKS page.

.oOo.

The Tangle Refresher series, aka Buried Treasure, spotlights hidden tangle gems from the past. It can remind you of tangles you might not have used for a while or introduce you to some you haven’t come across yet.

Here are five more tangle pattern gems and a Tangle Refresher from the past for your tangling pleasure. Remember to check out the “More Good Stuff” links below too.

BTW as you visit these tangles please do leave a comment of thanks and encouragement to show the artists you appreciate them for sharing their creativity to inspire yours. And please share a link to your favorite tangles with your followers on all your social media. Thanks!

Zenful tangling!

Buried Treasure from the tangling past

	Quabog
	Zap
	Pooma
	Corkin
	Spurtle
	Tangle Refresher 192

More good stuff …

• The Importance of Strings in Zentangle – and String 001
• A perfect companion to the Kit is the Zentangle Primer Vol 1 – your CZT-in-a-book by the founders of Zentangle! Now available in softcover, or as an instant download KINDLE Edition.
• Everything you need to know about creating Zentangle-Inspired Art or Products
• Free Interweave eBook – Know Your Rights: Copyright 101 for crafters and artists
• Tangle Pattern Refreshers – the entire Buried Treasure series
• Find dozens more free tutorials on TanglePatterns by visiting the TUTORIALS tab on the pink alphabetic menu bar
• Find a CZT near you – the link to the list of Certified Zentangle Teachers is located in the left sidebar of the site under the heading SOURCE WEBSITES
• Interested in becoming a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT®)? Here’s more information.
• Linda’s List of Zentangle-original tangles – THE tangles to learn first if you’re new to Zentangle.

.oOo.

Never miss a tangle - FREE newsletter subscription!

Sign up to get new tangle posting notices delivered free to your email inbox in a few easy steps:

1. Click here: Subscribe to TanglePatterns by Email and enter your email address. OR, sign up from the SUBSCRIBE page on the top menu bar.
2. Double check that you've entered the correct email address — typos occur more often than you'd think.
3. If you entered your email address correctly you will immediately receive a "Thank you for subscribing" email from FeedBlitz on behalf of TanglePatterns.
4. Add linda@tanglepatterns.com to your address book/whitelist so the email isn’t blocked by spam filters. Gmail is particularly brutal about deciding everything important is spam.
5. If you subscribe to all three lists (Daily, Comments, Weekly Digest) you may receive a separate email for each subscription.

How to manage your TanglePatterns subscriptions

You can change your email address, temporarily pause your subscription while you're on vacation, or unsubscribe at any time by using the subscription management links at the bottom of any of your TanglePatterns emails. Whether you subscribe to the daily TanglePatterns email, the Comments email, or the Weekly Digest email, each one is a separate subscription so use the links in the relevant email to make your changes. For more information see ABOUT > HOW TO CHANGE YOUR EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION on the menu bar at the top of any page.

.oOo.

.oOo.
Enhance your Zentangle experience while supporting TanglePatterns:
CURRENT EDITION! TanglePatterns.com TANGLE GUIDE, 2024 Edition
	The 13th Edition of the TanglePatterns.com TANGLE GUIDE is an instant-download 109-page interactive digital eBook/PDF containing approximately 2,000 tangles on the site from May 2010 through December 31, 2023. It's a great resource and a must-have digital tool for using the site. Visit the STORE > E-BOOKS page and help keep TanglePatterns.com going by getting your copy now!
	"Linda, Thank you! I was relying on too few and getting stuck after 3 years of daily working with Zentangle. This has inspired me to ‘begin again’ with renewed excitement." ~ Barbara R.
See the BOOK REVIEWS page for more details on its features and view a sample page. Note: this is a digital product you download immediately when you place your order, nothing will be physically mailed to you.
GIFT ORDERS FOR ANOTHER PERSON: To give the TANGLE GUIDE as a gift, visit this page to place your gift order.
If you're new to Zentangle® and tangling, my TanglePatterns.com BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO ZENTANGLE is just what you need to get started. Also available en Français and en Español.
	This is the only Zentangle book you'll ever need: the fabulous Zentangle PRIMER Vol 1. It's your CZT-in-a-book by the founders of Zentangle®. Visit the STORE tab on the top menu bar or click on the image. For more about the content and to read the rave reviews, visit the BOOK REVIEWS tab.
NEW! Now available in KINDLE format for $9.99. Spanish Edition here. Japanese Edition here.
"Absolutely the best Zentangle Book yet! As an accomplished artist I used to think I did not need instruction on this art form. How wrong I was! My tangling improved by leaps and bounds after reading this book. If you think you have Zentangle down then you need this book more than ever!" ~ Kris H
.oOo.