After last weekend’s power failure fiasco, I spent a lot of this week playing catch up. That left very little time to make art, so I decided to do something small that’s been on my list for a while: I made a few zentangles.

Zentangles are everywhere lately, and for good reason. They’re simple, require minimal supplies, and easily accessible to everyone—because seriously, if you’ve ever doodled while talking on the phone, you’re halfway there.

I cut up a bunch of cardstock a while back, into two inch and four inch squares and ATC sized pieces, and tucked them into the drawer of my coffee table. That way, if I feel like drawing or doodling, I have little pieces ready to go. In the same drawer are a handful of my favorite pens. Not art pens. Writing pens. For years, I’ve refused to write with anything but black Uni-ball pens. I buy them by the box, and they’re on every horizontal surface in the house.

Anyway, cardstock plus Uni-ball equals zentangle. I did the squares in front of the television one night, and the two ATCs at yesterday’s mixed-media group meeting. While none of them is great moments in art, I’m particularly appreciative of the fact that this technique helps me turn my brain off for a while. I even did a little reading on the Zentangle site this week, and learned that yes, this really is a sort of meditation for some people.

I’m sure there will be more of these, and that they will get more complex and crazy, as I get calmer and more focused. Three cheers for creative meditation!