I thought I’d start out today’s Tangled Tuesday post with a quote that really speaks to me – not about tangling specifically, but about “creative living beyond fear” – from Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book Big Magic (in the chapter on Permission).
Let people have their opinions. More than that – let people be in love with their opinions, just as you and I are in love with ours. But never delude yourself into believing that you require someone else’s blessing (or even their comprehension) in order to make your own creative work. And always remember that people’s judgments about you are none of your business.
I know I need to remind myself of this now and then, as I sometimes find myself falling into the trap of caring far too much about what others think about my art and why I choose to spend time making it. Can you relate?
New Tangles
This week I learned Organic, Fleavy, Zinger, and Gotcha, all from TanglePatterns.com.
I also learned Windfarm and Morse, both from Margaret Bremner, CZT of Enthusiastic Artist.
And with that, I have filled up my sixth tangle pattern sketchbook and set up a brand spanking new red Moleskine Sketchbook as Volume 7. That translates into 634 patterns learned since I started tangling in June, 2013, which I’d say is not too shabby!
Challenges
I started out with Diane & Carolien’s Weekly Challenge #34: Tangle with H-W-N, choosing the tangles Half Onions, Watusee, and Nuwave. All three patterns were ones I’d previously learned but had not yet had a chance to use in a finished project, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to do so.

Zentangle 116 for Weekly Challenge #34: Tangle with H-W-N
Next was The Diva’s Challenge #246, which this week was a guest post on “Monotangle Trees” from Dilip Patel, CZT. He tasks us to “choose any tangle pattern of your liking and create a tree using only the chosen tangle over strings representing a tree.” (Check out the blog post for his reason behind the challenge – it’s a good one!)
As soon as I opened my sketchbook a pattern I’d learned just this week – Fleavy – jumped out at me and I thought it would be a great one to use for this challenge. Even though the end result looks less like a tree and more like several sheaves of wheat, I still think the tile is rather pretty!

Zentangle 117 for The Diva’s Challenge #246
Finally I completed joey’s weekly tangle challenge #89, which was to use Zinger in a monotangle. I could have sworn I’d already learned this pattern, way back when, but a search through my sketchbooks showed that I actually hadn’t. It’s in there now, though!
Just to be different I thought I’d go with white on black for this challenge. Not really thrilled with how it turned out – I find the white pen needs a special touch, which I often forget how to do until I’m well into using it!

Zentangle 118 for joey’s weekly tangle challenge #89
Now on to a new week of tangling!
P.S.
The Zentangle® Method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas and is copyrighted. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.
Previous posts in this series are all tagged Tangled Tuesday.
For background on how I discovered and got involved in Zentangle, and links to further information and resources, check out my blog post For the love of tangling.
You can browse my entire tangle gallery at Ten Thousand Tangles.
And, if you’re interested in having a little piece of my art for yourself, please click on the GoFundMe button below for more information and also visit my Ten Thousand Tangles portfolios and shops on ArtofWhere, DeviantArt, Etsy, Redbubble, Society6, Spoonflower, and Zazzle. (Pssst… links to my international Ten Thousand Tangles shops on Zazzle are on my “shop!” page – just click on the appropriate flag and you’ll get to the place you need to be!)
How have you been creative this week?
Please share!

Nice work on all of them! I really like how the tree turned out.
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: DianeClancy
December 1, 2015
Laurel, what a lovely set of tiles. I love your K-U-C – it looks like actors on the stage in front of a beautiful curtain. Lovely! Your tree is very fine. Zinger is one of my favs … mine will be posted on Friday. 🙂 🙂
~ Diane Clancy
http://www.dianeclancy.com/blog/2015/11/my-diane-caroliens-h-w-n-challenge-entry
http://www.dianeclancy.com/blog/2015/11/my-diva-monotangle-tree-challenge-entry
Diane Clancy recently posted… My Tangle Me 3 Points and Curves for SuzyMosh
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you so much!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Lovely work this week, I like the zingers all coming from the centre and I think your tree turned out well. I have yet to come across a tree made with a tangle that someone else has used, it seems all tangles can make trees.
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you! Yes, it’s so interesting to see all the different tangles used!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
This is just remarkable Lauren. Fleavy is my favorite this time. 🙂 Great work as always..
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: RamblinGarden
December 1, 2015
I like your tree because of the patterns on the bark. If you look at trees closely, you see so many patterns in their bark, especially as they age. Some look like lines, others look like boxes, and still others (like birch) have beautiful, peeling bark. So why not a wheat tree?
Alana recently posted… How To Cope With Holiday Grief
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
LOL, why not?!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
wow!! All of them are beautiful! 🙂
Pixie recently posted… Day 2: Of gratitude and books
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
very nice
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
All so beautiful, but the tree …. that’s my absolute favorite.
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: Boomeresque
December 2, 2015
I don’t have any trouble at all seeing a tree in your response to this week’s Diva’s challenge. I think I’m going to copy off of you (imitation being the highest form of praise) and start sketchbooks to learn new tangles. I’m starting to have a zillion Zentangle tiles and I’m not sure what to do with them all. (I might be exaggerating the number a little, but not THAT much). Elizabeth Gilbert’s advice is spot on and not just for creative endeavors. Thanks for the reminder.
Suzanne Fluhr recently posted… Zentangle Diva Challenge #246 – Hola Madrid, Spain Edition
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Having the sketchbooks is a great resource – now I just need a shelf in my arts and crafts room on which to store them! One day I’ll figure out how to set up a digital library on my phone, but for now the sketchbooks (bulky as they may be) work fine.
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: vidyasury
December 2, 2015
So beautiful Laurel. I am so tempted to learn this. I recently got a book on Zentangles, inspired by you.
That quote is superb and worth printing and placing where we can see it often. 🙂
Vidya Sury recently posted… Smiling Meditation
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Oh, I hope you do, Vidya! You would love it!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
A very lovely collection of pieces this week! You have a style that I can’t quite put my finger on that intrigues me. It has something to do with the thickness of some of your lines, very effective! Thanks for participating in my challenges and sharing your other artwork!
~ joey ~
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you, Joey! 🙂
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Trackbacks: