In-between places

Today I had a lovely afternoon at 'Tuesday Tanglers' sitting at the café tangling in-between two dear members of my tangle family,  Michele Beauchamp and Melissa Hughes.  Together with a number of other Tuesday Tangler friends, we chatted, sipped coffee, ate desserts, tangled, shared Zentangles and ZIA, drank more coffee, ate jellybeans, and tangled some more.  What a wonderful way to spend four hours!

That was a very fun 'in-between' place to be. In fact, when I began to ponder this week's Challenge (#10) from I am the Diva – entitled, The Space Between – I realised there are many 'in-betweens' in Zentangle land.

"In-between Places" – © Kit Murdoch, 22 February 2011.
(Click on image to enlarge.)

There's a moment between deciding to tangle and picking up a tile... between putting pencil in hand and touching it to paper... between thinking of a tangle and beginning to draw it... but (here comes another metaphor for Margaret) one of the most liberating 'in-between' places of Zentangle is that magical place we inhabit when we tangle – a place that is neither right nor wrong.  Zentangle is not really even 'in-between' right and wrong (at least, not in the sense that it is half-way between one and the other),

A Zentangle simply IS.  

• No judgement.  
• No right. 
• No wrong.
• No decision to be made one way or the other.  

Zentangle is a process that exists independently of the 'right or wrong' pendulum swing that seems to proscribe much of our lives.  Sometimes, more so in some aspects of life than others, things may appear to be very black and white. A is right, B is wrong. C is good, D is bad. Or perhaps: X is unpleasant (I experience aversion) and Y is pleasant (I experience attachment).

However, the more I learn about walking the Middle Path in my own life – the more I realise that equanimity (neither aversion, nor attachment) is an important step on the path to objective, self-aware living.  And the best way to achieve equanimity?  In my experience – to live in the present, to experience Reality, to
Be. Here. Now.*

Zentangle helps us to live in the Present Moment.  Neither the past, nor the future – but betwixt and between.  When we worry about the future, or fixate on the past, we cease to live in the present.  How can we enjoy all that is real —right here, right now— if we mentally inhabit either past or future?§

For example, I have previously heard the word, fear, analysed in terms of the acronym F.E.A.R. = Future Events Appearing Real. So many of our fears exist only in the (not real) future, in the 'what ifs' and 'maybes' of..... okay – this is karmic in some way, I'm sure!

This Huntsman spider was over a hand span across, from one
leg tip to another. (Clicking image to enlarge is not advised.)

My partner and I just ran around the room (me squealing, at intervals, like a little girl) as a large spider ran across the carpet.  Once he was safely relocated to the outside world, I asked J, "so what wasn't present moment about that particular fear?"  He thought for a split second and replied, "It was clearly a fear based on 'what if the spider crawls on me?' – a future event that did not, in fact, come to pass." Okay... suitably chastened, and having to admit to you all that some future events seem a little closer (and therefore scarier) to the present moment than others, I shall continue.

Before and after shading. (Click to enlarge.)

The reason Zentangle helps us achieve moment-to-moment thinking is because, in the art of Zentangle, our world (our focus) narrows down to, and concentrates on a 3½" (9 cm) square... and then to the pencil string on that 3½" tile... and further, to a segment of the string of that 3½" tile. And then, focussing still more closely, we see just the tangle in that segment of that string on that 3½" square tile. And finally to each individual pen stroke of that tangle in that segment... And so on. 

Where – when our world becomes that simple, that focussed, that meditative – is there room for doubt, fear, worry, or tension in our minds?

All but This Moment in time disappears from our thoughts. The stress and worry we carry, the pain or suffering we push away, the addictions we crave, all of these things evaporate (the past that is gone, and the futures that do not yet exist) – when faced with the Now of tangling, as in meditation.

We reach a seemingly magical place, a place that defies the rules of the ordinary, where we are able to experience our Lives, even if just for a time, Moment to Moment,
BEing Here Now.

In-betweens are often magical places. In Celtic mythology, the in-between places were places of transition, neither one thing, nor the other. Doorways, shorelines, the forest's edge, dusk and dawn are a few examples. These were places of power, where the extra-ordinary was possible, and where the bonds of reality and the every-day were shed.  The transition from sunshine to rain, for example, is often marked by the magic and beauty of a rainbow.

Between sunshine and rain, a rainbow appears.
(Photograph © Kit Murdoch, February 2011. Click to enlarge.)

When I first discovered Zentangle, I was on just such a border between one part of my life and the next.  I didn't, at the time, realise how important that 'in-between' moment was.  But there are many moments of transition and change in our lives when it is a Good Thing to pause, to breathe, and to appreciate. (Does that sound familiar?)

Mary Jaksch writes,

In old houses there is a stone or plank at the bottom of the front door. It is the threshold and marks where ‘home’ begins. It marks the edge of intimate territory. The threshold itself is neither in nor out. It is an in-between place. When you inhabit the place or the moment that is betwixt and between, you inhabit a mysterious realm. Something new, something unknown, is about to open for you. The word ‘threshold’ is a poetic word which conjures up dreams and images and I want to speak of them in the hope that you in turn will begin to dream and that out of your dreams a new awareness will arise.

Begin to dream today.  Zentangle opened up a new world for me.  One more incredible than I could have imagined.  If I never receive any more from Zentangle than I have already, it is a bountiful treasure still.  And yet, I believe – in the deepest reaches of my heart – that my feet have only begun to tread this path.  I have crossed a threshold into the entrance way of Zentangle, and am Positively En-tranced (in the truest sense of both words).

And, this year (in October), I hope to cross yet another great in-between (The Pacific Ocean, between my home and the home of Rick and Maria) to continue on to new Zentangle discoveries, friendships, and family.

The Weepies - Can't Go Back Now (Walk On)
"Go where you want to go, BE what you want to BE!"

One of my fave songs about letting the past be the past... and
walking forward into our lives as they are now.
(Don't click on the screen – it takes you to another song.)

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Having tangled away the day, I did not learn until this evening of the devastating earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand today.  I hold in my thoughts tonight all those who, after today's tragic events, wait in-between knowing and not-knowing.  Since I am, for now, unable to do anything other than hold them in my heart, I will – once again – tangle.  Let us hope that, for at least some of those who wait, there will be a rainbow's promise of hope between tonight's grief and whatever tomorrow brings.

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*There is a book, Be Here Now – that is worth checking out for the illustrations, alone. And, if you find the ideas attractive as well – have fun exploring (you will soon discover that this book, like Zentangle, also subscribes to the 'there is no up or down' principle [grin]). From Wikipedia: "Be Here Now is a 1971 book on spirituality, yoga and meditation by the Western born yogi and spiritual teacher Ram Dass. The title comes from a statement his guide, Bhagavan Das, made during Ram Dass' journeys in India. The cover features a Mandala incorporating the title, a chair, radial lines, and the word "remember". The book is sometimes referred to as Remember, Be Here Now. The numerous illustrations, including the cover art, are not credited."

§The subject heading of this article amused me (Hobbies and Interests » Good Self Esteem), since it would seem to me to be more than a hobby or interest... but what Phillips writes, particularly in her two opening paragraphs, illustrates the problems of inhabiting the past or future quite well.

Reference
Jaksch, M. J. (1999). The threshold. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from http://goodlifezen.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/the-threshold.pdf

The Call...

This week the community of tanglers that was brought together – knitted together – by Laura's challenges, found out that Laura and her baby son, Artoo, are facing major life challenges themselves. The Call went out for us to create a Zentangle (or ZIA*) heart incorporating two previous challenge themes.  Laura wrote, "and maybe you could send your healing intent to our little baby as you do your entry." 

Well... that is exactly what has been happening this week. I have been visiting each heart-felt message, artistically expressed as they have been posted each day – and I have been moved to tears at times, by the great wellspring of Love and Community Spirit that is being sent out to Artoo, Laura and her family (Artoo's older brother and his Dad).

And so, with healing intent, I too answer The Call with this simple Zentangle. 

(Click image to enlarge.)

I used these two challenge themes: Breathe (since that's what Artoo is struggling to do for himself right now) and Simplicity.  The simplicity of a single tangle, Zander.** My heart felt so full of 'healing intent' – way too big to fit onto a single Zentangle tile, so that is why my heart design disappears off the edges.

I wished, as I drew this, that I owned a flask of Lucy Pevensie's cordial:

"In this bottle, there is a cordial made of the juice of the fire-flowers that grow in the mountains of the sun. If you or any of your friends are hurt, a few drops will restore them." [Father Christmas, from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis]

...for with a single drop of such a cordial, I could restore Artoo to perfect health.  However, although we don't have access to magic cordials in the 'real' world, the healing intent that has been brewed up by this tangled community for Artoo this week – in answer to Laura's Call – is surely magical.

And, as I thought about all these magic, tangled hearts – so full of healing intent – that have emerged in response to Laura's Call for our heart-felt support, I remembered the beautiful song that Regina Spektor sang (for the Narnia movie, Prince Caspian) called "The Call."  I played the song, as I tangled my heart... hence the title of this post.

Listen, Artoo – these hearts are our battle cry! 

We're fighting, in spirit, by your side. Holding you in our hearts.

With a heart and mind full of loving-kindness, I answer The Call, and send Artoo and his family metta:

I send them, with this tangled heart of mine, "...love that is firm but not grasping, unshakeable but not inflexible, gentle and settled, hard but unhurting, helpful but not interfering, giving more than receiving, dignified but not proud, soft but not sentimental."

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*ZIA = Zentangle inspired art (see explanation here).

**There is no online instruction for Zander, that I know of... but there's a great example of it on Kass Hall's website here. Kass is a talented, Australian CZT, based in Melbourne. (Kass also describes her experience at the CZT training in October last year... which is very exciting for me – as I shall be following in her footsteps

Two-pencil-string technique

For those of you who have been following, I am The Diva's Weekly Zentangle Challenges, it is Week #2* and this week's challenge is to 'create a Zentangle® tile or inspired piece using the two-pencil-string technique'.

This technique was written about recently by Canadian tangler extraordinaire, Margaret Bremner. I was excited to try out this technique for the first time. Particularly after seeing the beautiful effects Margaret had achieved.

* If you haven't seen the extraordinary and inspiring contributions to the Zentangle Challenge from Week #1 – Simplicity, you will find the relevant page here.

In my sewing box, I discovered some seam tracer pencils – just perfect for creating two-pencil-strings. These pencils are readily available and come in two sizes (1/4 inch and 5/8 inch). I am using the 1/4 inch (6 mm) size. This is the first string I created. As usual, I didn't plan ahead at all. I just put pencils to paper and the string flowed easily from body to tile.

The extra stability and balance of double pencil tips does seem to lend itself to lovely smooth and elegant curves. Also, the width of the double pencils felt similar to using a broad edge calligraphy nib – so my 'calligrapher mind' discovered that the flow of the lines was both familiar and comfortable.

My first impression of this string was that it seemed quite musical (which has inspired me dig out my five line automatic 'music calligraphy pen' – and have a tangle with that.) With this notion of music in mind, I started with Casey Poirer's Muzic tangle. Immediately, a branch of Mimi Lempart's Cat-Kin sprang out of the end of the piano keys. I love how 'organically' tangles tend to grow across a tile!

Here is the finished tile (click on the image for a larger view):

In the centre, Sandra Strait's Stubs appeared, which seemed appropriate for the two-pencil theme. Also, even though I only occasionally use colour with traditional Zentangles, those red lines seemed quite determined to emerge from three pencil 'pairs'. That may seem an odd way to phrase it but, in much the same way that authors have commented that their characters 'tell' them what they're going to do next, my tangles often seem to tell me where they will be placed (and not the other way around).

You may also notice that the checker-board ribbon coming from the other end of Muzic has five lines. Although this was unplanned, it seems to me to echo the idea of a five line music stave. You will also see that the final orientation of the tile changed since drawing the initial string (as it frequently does, of course).

I had so much fun creating this first tile, that I couldn't stop there, and so I began straight away on a second. In this photograph, I've already started with the official Zentangle® tangle, Zander, right across the middle of the tile, but you can still see most of the original pencil string. This time I left a border around the outside of my string design. I loved the little double loops that formed, and was quite curious to see what would happen with them!

In similar fashion to this week's Zentangle created by my friend and tangle buddy, 'Lone Creature', I decided to keep my tangles inside the pencil lines for this tile.
Once I started, the tangles emerged quickly. After Zander, Crescent Moon appeared across the bottom of the tile. Hibred grew up the right hand side. And Sue Jacob's Coil curved itself around the top left corner. The double loops were still a challenge, and were eventually filled with various spiral, grid, and petal like patterns. Here is a photograph of the second tile just before shading.

I have included the pre-shaded photograph here because, like so many Zentangles, the shading made a rather dramatic difference... and also because I added a little extra to the finished tile, which you can see in the final photograph.

A final note: In Zen-typical-tangle serendipity, after taking some time to stop, breathe, and appreciate the finished tile, I realised that my rather spiky addition in the middle of Coil reminded me of one of Jennifer Maestre's beautiful 'pencil urchins' (which I first saw on Molossus' blog, Life Imitates Doodles). Clearly I've had pencils on the brain today!

Click on the image for a larger view.

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Many thanks, Laura, once again for another fun challenge this week. The Zentangles I've seen so far on this theme are all beautiful, lively, and fun!