Do you ever feel like you’ve barely solved one problem only to be immediately  bombarded with another? You’ve just recovered emotionally from one hardship just before another one sucker-punches you in the gut.

I’ve been incredibly overwhelmed lately in just about every aspect of my life. I’m trying to keep a cool head and go with the flow as I like to say. I usually turn to my artwork to alleviate my stress but even that has brought it’s own hurdles.

I’ve gotten myself to the point where I am so concerned with perfection, I hinder myself from being allowed to make mistakes. This has caused incredible tension with little to no relief. How can I release this anxiety?

Then I came across zentangle. It is a style of art created by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts. The true art is created on a 3.5 inch “tile” of white untextured paper. The drawing is done in black ink and consists of intertwining patterns, or tangles. This art form is non objective being a form of artistic meditation. There is no right or wrong, only what you decide.

I’ve been doing some zentangle inspired sketches lately as a way to “get my crazies” out. I’ve only done two sketches but am amazed by how it calms me. Plus, there is no added pressure for getting details exact. It is pure zen art.

You can learn more about true zentangle and check out the starter pack here. I would like to get the starter pack for myself to learn more about the official art form.

Try it out! Anyone can do it and it’s a great way to ease your mind or eliminate anxiety. What activities do you do to de-stress? Share your story below in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.”