Do art and religion have a connection deep enough to keep our minds calm and rooted? This is a question that has crossed my mind very often lately. The human mind is probably the most complex to decipher despite it being the supposed vessel of logical reasoning. Somehow, this basic virtue of logical reasoning is lost in today’s times wherein a father does not pause before killing his four-year-old daughter for not covering her head, women across the world are raped in the most beastly manner, innocent children are abused and ‘honour’ killings are rampant. With such unrest and toxicity in our environment, what role can the arts play? I have been toying with this question for a while now. Can the arts become a way of life? Can they become a religion on their own in which one finds a harmless, yet satisfying, form of self-expression, an outlet of deep frustration? I do wonder if the human mind can function, even in angst, and create something beautiful.
Personally, I think any form of art satisfies the fundamental need for self-expression. I have found myself dabbling in various forms of art like dancing, painting, architecture and drawing, and have loved every one of them. The early years saw me doing these with great energy, attempting to fulfil and satisfy my restless mind.
As life took me on its roller-coaster ride over the years, I have come to appreciate the same forms in deeper ways. The emotional and spiritual connections between Bharatanatyam and architecture fascinated me enough for me to explore them in my graduate architectural thesis. And then during one of my runs to a craft store a few months ago, I chanced upon a book called The Joy of Zentangle. It piqued my curiosity and before I knew it, I had spent several minutes reading the first few pages which explained how this easy and relaxing art technique came about and how it has inspired people regardless of their age, gender, qualification, religion and drawing abilities.
It seemed like a technique so simple yet so powerful that people from various strata of society and faith found the confidence in themselves to create beautiful pieces of art. The excitement of learning a new art technique inspired me and the book found its way into my shopping cart and finally, home! During the following weeks, I read up more on Zentangle at the library and on the Internet. Come summer, I bought the necessary tools — 3.5x3.5 white paper tiles and Micron pens. I started to tangle (draw) and I loved it. The satisfaction of creation and its ability to relax my mind and keep it focused just blew me away. I started to look for patterns everywhere; in physical, tangible forms and in the intangible realm of human behaviour and thoughts.
Zentangle was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas (www. zentangle.com) in 2005; one a monk with years of meditation and the latter, an incredible artist and illustrator. It has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, gaining popularity especially because of its simple technique.
The repetitive strokes call the mind to attention while simultaneously making it a fun and relaxing experience. ‘Anything is possible, one stroke at a time,’ is the main principle of Zentangle. It is a beautiful expression and lesson in patience and compassion that leaves the artist stress-free to create at will. That ‘life’s mistakes cannot be erased’ is another lesson that Zentangle incorporates into its technique.
The artist is not allowed to use erasers and is required to draw patterns with pens. Misplaced marks on a Zentangle tile cannot be erased and it is up to the artist to accept the mistake and figure out how best to incorporate it into the design. Just as in life, where one’s acceptance of mistakes teaches one to work around them in order to move on. While many have the opinion that Zentangle is basic doodling packaged well and given a fancy name, I beg to differ. Yes, doodling is the basis of any Zentangle pattern or tile. But it goes a few steps further and deeper than that. Zentangle sharpens focus with every stroke repetition, creating patterns and designs that are manifestations of the tangled mind. Intricate patterns and details, and the use of colours make for some wonderful Zentangle- Inspired Art (ZIA). Every stroke is purposefully drawn and it works around the previous ones, keeping the artist completely and fully engaged in creation.
One can create one’s own patterns or use those that have been laid out by certified Zentangle practitioners. Zentangle, with dancing and drawing, has definitely become an integral part of my life in a ritualistic way. And it is very liberating to Zentangle my mind, one knot at a time.
The author is an architect based in California, USA.