Stuck? Try This
One of the things to love about Zentangle practice is that there is no prescribed outcome. We make a stroke, respond to it, make another, and see where it takes us.
But sometimes… our responses get stuck. 😬 Maybe the tangle isn't looking the way you imagined. Maybe you're feeling critical of your linework. Maybe one little section has suddenly become the thing you can't stop looking at! 👀🫣
Before you decide the tile is ruined, try one of these:
Aura - when in doubt, aura!
Make it bigger - or smaller, sometimes changing the scale of it changes your mind
Change your pen pressure - Try making the strokes lighter. Or darker. Thicker. Finer.
Turn the tile- it’s designed for this. Now tangle from a different direction.
Stop and breathe - Zentangle has breathwork. Mindfully slow your breath and focus on that.
Repeat something - maybe something that you liked, somewhere else.
Consider the white space- ignore what you already have for a moment, and just consider what to do with the space remaining
Pick a fragment - adding a little fragment can help get you unstuck
Redirect your eyes- sit back and take 10 seconds or more to look around the room
Tipple and fresh look- flip your tile and add some tipple to the back to help reset your thoughts
Leave it alone — not every space needs something. Let the white space do some work. There is no prescribed destination in Zentangle!
Set it aside - no rules against that! It's a cure for Tungle Vision!
Tungle Vision (noun) — A temporary condition caused by staring at your tile for too long, making you increasingly convinced that something is terribly wrong with it. Often cured by temporarily putting the tile away to be looked at later.
Symptoms may include: obsessing over one wonky line, suddenly hating an otherwise perfectly lovely tile, and wondering why you ever thought you could draw.
Word origin: tangle + tunnel vision
Do you have anything to add to the list?? Post or reply!!
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