Introduction to The Zentangle® Method: My First Online Course for Beginners
It's Finally Here: My First Online Course Has Launched. Yes, I know - I've been promising this has been coming for a long time! But now Introduction to The Zentangle® Method is available to buy.
I took my time with it because there's something about putting something you really care about out into the world that makes you want to fiddle with it just a little bit longer.
But here it is. At last! Introduction to The Zentangle® Method course is live, and I couldn't be more excited to share it with you. How this course came to be I first discovered The Zentangle Method at a point in my life when I really needed it - even if I realise initially just how much!
I was juggling a busy career in journalism and sub-editing - years of deadlines, fretting and that constant low-level stress that became so normal I sort of became used to it.
What is The Zentangle® Method and why is it relaxing?
When I came across Zentangle, I didn't realise how much I needed it. I thought I had found something I could enjoy that would help me pass some time. The reality was that I had found something that would genuinely go on to change my life.
The more that I got into Zentangle, the more I found myself relaxing into it. There is something soothing about the repetitive, structured nature of The Zentangle Method.
Building the patterns is very mindful. You're just doing it for yourself, not thinking about the end result or comparing it to anyone else's. It's all about taking each stroke in turn and being fully present. Just by putting pen to paper.
There's something really powerful about that simple practice. I went on to train as a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) because I wanted to share that experience with other people - particularly people like me - women who are overwhelmed and stretched thin. A lot of my students come to me convinced they're "not creative".
You are. I promise. For a while, I was teaching in person, running sessions that I loved every single minute of. But I kept hearing from people who couldn't make it to a class whether the issue was distance, work or family commitments.
They wanted to learn, but they needed something flexible that they could pick up in their own time, and complete at their own pace. So I started building this course.
And it took longer than I expected, because I wanted to get it right. There's some irony in there - for all that I'm constantly saying the Zentangle Method is not about perfection, I still wanted this course to be the best I could make it.
What the course actually covers
The Introduction to The Zentangle Method course is designed for absolute beginners. You don't need any artistic experience, any special equipment or any prior knowledge. If you can hold a pen, you can do this.
In fact the elemental strokes of Zentangle are i, c, s and o. That's how I'm so confident you can do Zentangle too. Over the course of the lessons - there are three in total - you'll learn the core principles of the Zentangle Method, including the official tiles, tools and materials, the foundational tangle patterns, and the step-by-step process that makes this so accessible and genuinely relaxing.
By the end, you'll have a real understanding of the method and, more importantly, a creative practice you can return to whenever you need it. It's not about producing a masterpiece.
It's about giving yourself a chance to slow down, focus and enjoy the process.
Is The Zentangle® Method suitable for beginners?
It's for you if:
You've been curious about Zentangle but didn't know where to start
You've always wanted a creative outlet but talked yourself out of it because you don't think you're "artistic enough".
You're stressed, overwhelmed or just looking for a moment of calm in a busy day.
You've dabbled in mindfulness or meditation but found the sit-still-and-empty-your-mind approach tricky.
Zentangle gives your hands something to do, which I think is why it helps me to calm my mind so much more effectively than just sitting still.
If this sounds like something you need right now, I'd love to have you join me.
Lisa Crow is a Certified Zentangle Teacher and freelance editor based in Glasgow. She runs Create and Calm with Lisa, offering mindful art sessions and resources for overwhelmed women who want to slow down and reconnect with their creativity.
