Having seen the Zentangles on an number of sites, I had to try one myself. I also played some more with the fractal filter. Both images appeal to me in that they have a strong sense of rhythm.
Todd Henry in his podcast and website Accidental Creative talks a lot about rhythm, and it has made me more aware of it. If you have not hear of this podcast or blog, please go check him out. Rhythm is one of those things that is often lost in our modern society. We have become obsessed with Now! and New and Improved. I always want my art to be constantly improving and getting better. When I hit an ebb part of the tide, I think of it as bad. The creativity is going away, what I am doing is not working. What I made is trash.
These negative thoughts are destructive and wrong. Like the tide, creativity has a rhythm, it cycles through low and high periods. These periods of low creativity are the times for processing and for refilling your personal well. I also like to think of them as times for sand castle building. Sand Castles are a great low tide activity, all that bare sand, a blank canvas, but a low pressure blank canvas as you know the tide is going to return. Sand Castles can be works of art, but they are a joy to create, simple to make. It is the process that is fun.
I found this Zentangle to be an excellent sand castle type activity. It was fun, it simple to make, but can become complex. Like many before me, I found it to have a meditative quality to it. I found myself thinking of the things I am Thankful for, A very seasonal thing, and I found some answers to some artist problems. I had been working on a series of tiles, I had decided to make some seasonal tiles. Flowers for spring and summer. Leaves for fall, but when it came to the winter tiles, my Christmas tiles fell very flat, too found at Walmart and kitschy. It was the same for snowflakes, the more religious tiles and the others. They lacked rhythm. The flowers and leaves worked because they had rhythm. I feel like the tide is coming back in on my tile creativity.
Your zentangle is great (love the gratitude element in it) and I value your thoughts on rhythm. Reminds me of tuning into our heartbeats, which is a lot of what I have done so far this month.
Thank you for being such a positive contribution to my AEDM experience.
Thank you. I love the idea of tuning into our heartbeats. You are quite welcome, I thank you for your contibution to mine.
Love the round zentangle. I like that you incorporated journaling into it and the use of the colors. Great job. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on rhythm. I will be checking out that podcast.
Thank you. It is a great podcast, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
love that zentangle!
and i agree, i’ve written a lot about rhythm and creativity because it’s been so important for me to accept. i think of it like riding the tides, going with the flow. feels so much better than resisting/fighting against it.
The ocean has always been an energy source for me. I find that working with the tide is the only way to go. Your blog is one of the places I go when I am looking for inspiration. Thank you Leah.
Beautiful fractal and I love how you compared creativity to sand castle building.
Thank you.