Opening up Creativity - Zentangles and doodling

I am always looking a way to open up my creativity and get away from perfection.  Early in my creative life, I did not think I had any artistic ability.  I thought that artists either needed to portray the exact image as if a photograph or convey the idea in just a few strokes of the pen.  I was extremely tough on myself.

When I took over my ceramics studio, I suddenly had to allow myself to not only be creative but help other people to find their creative voice.

I have come a long way and yet sometimes making that original item or seeing things differently takes some effort and practice.  So how does an artist "practice" besides creating art pieces.  Well, one technique came from Sandy Teen Bartholomew by way of Cloth Paper Scissors.  This has been around a few years and has an official website.  There are a few ritual steps to starting that help get you going and they have some structured doodles for you to learn, but like most artists each one finds their own rules.  They use just 3 1/2 paper squares where I am using a larger journal so mine do take longer.  Also I seem to have more going on...words etc.

Here are my rules:
1.  I cannot tear out or start over (this teaches me to let go and to find creative solutions)
2.  Try to do at least two week (I thought I would do one a day but mine often take a few hours).
3.  It is OK to leave them partially done and return later (see the reason above!)
4.  I can use color
5.  I can have a theme, question or affirmation
6.  Each time is new so let go and let the ink flow!

One of my favorite techniques is writing words in cursive one direction and then another word the other direction.  It creates a pattern that is not readable but the intentions are there.

I am really enjoying the thoughts that it opens as well as the meditation that seems to come from just escaping computers, production, to do lists.....and just creating.  In addition, it makes lines go faster and the waiting room is almost a pleasure.

I even noticed the Quilting Arts Magazine April/May 2011 edition has an article on turning these into art quilts! So that seems to be my next step.

For more information try these:

Sandy's blog:  beezinthebelfry.blogspot.com
Zentangles
Quilting Arts April/May 2011
Craft Paper Scissors Art-Journaling eBook

My "Zentangles" so far...