Love how you said that. "The attempt to be perfect is stressful."

I am ramdomly binge watching Zentangle vids while I finish knitting a baby hat for charity. I have been struggling with what to do, where to start, what pattern type I like most. This is the perfect exercise for me as a beginner because it will get me used to drawing the lines, feeling the pens on paper. Thank you so much for this. I just finished my hat and now I am going to get my pen and paper and get started on making lines !!! You are just what the doctor ordered ... LOL !!! ... and your tile turned out great !!! It's gonna be fun making these and then maybe filling the spaces with little fillers to learn more about creating these "doodles."

I love the organic look of "imperfect".

I came across this video several years after you made it and I love it. Exactly what I need, thanks!

I like your idea of "listening" to the tile, relax and not worry about making some type of a pattern. And your are right, it's only paper.

In looking up Paradox videos, this one popped up in my feed. It was this video that began my drawing/Zentangle journey about a year ago. Taking time to draw in my day has become one of my happy spots. Thank you 🙏🏻

Thank you so much for this video! I have been dancing around the edge of tangling while getting caught in my perfectionist self. This video is a great lesson!

Great self-isolation, lockdown, quarantine exercises. Long ago, in a place far away long before I ever heard of Zentangle, I used to draw the first curvy patterns All The Time! At my work, we often had times where we were required to do contradictory things. No aircraft to talk to, stay plugged into your console, but don't zone out, pay attention, Keep Alert! We always had a scrap paper pad beside us at the position and when the quiet times happened I always drew the curvy line patterns. Most of the time they got written on top of, sometimes I tried to make a pattern on purpose and those ones always looked forced. Every once in a while though, something magical would happen. I was being relieved one day and my co-worker gave out a little excited "oh" and pulled my scribble page off the pad. I looked at him questioningly and he sheepishly explained that he was saving "the good ones". That made me feel self-conscious though and stifled the scribbles for awhile LOL

Having health issues and chronicle diseases I just am stuck for years now. And this video gives me hope to somehow restart the inner rusty engine again :)) Thank you, dear Dawn!! xoxo, Josi

Love the quote... “Just the attempt to be perfect is stressful”... So completely true! You are a wise woman... 🙏🏻💜

I discovered this tutorial today and have watched it multiple times. 5 thumbs up👍

I keep watching this session... I need the reminders, like a mom's comforting hand on my shoulder. Ty.

Had a long stressful day in the garage getting ready for a garage sale. I laid down to watch u-tube and woah-la, you started talking about Zentangle, which I do, and I became sooo relaxed that the phone fell out of my hand as I dozed off. That’s a compliment, not an insult 🥰

Yes loving all the videos on drawing. So many great teachers that are helping us get through this isolation. Over 40 days for me now. Thanks Dawn for another awesome Zentangle lesson.

Never have I subscribed to a YT channel after watching just one video... until today. Thank you. You are doing a great job of teaching/preaching.

During quarantine I've watched numerous videos on lines, but they required more "skill" for the completed piece to "look right". THIS....this is so freeing! I love that you used so many phrases we use at school with our special education students!! I can't wait to share this with them and start incorporating this into our classroom!! THANK YOU!!!

I love lines there’s some really cool tangles with lines!!

Your video really helped me out through out quarantine.

When I was little in school one of my favorite art projects was when the teacher would give us a piece of paper and pen. She would turn on a song and tell us to close our eyes and let the pen go on the paper. After the song you open your eyes and color the spaces. Looks pretty awesome :)

I love watching what you do. Greetings from Spring, Texas.

I love this, so nourishing to hear. Inspiring for the times we ALL get stuck.

hi dawn, this is what i did last night,letting go and just draw, what also helps me some times is to do a grid-pattern, the repetition is soothing too. thank you for sharing so much with us,you feel like a very dear friend to me. have a good day .xx

MELINDA!!!❤️💕❤️💕❤️ I just have to tell you, I’ve watched MANY of your videos and you’re soothing voice and wonderful ways have pulled me out of many a down day. I was watching this video today and started wondering, does Melinda even realize what a beautiful impact she has on the Zentangle community as well as those who “happen” upon your videos? So all this to say, THANK YOU!! You definitely have impacted my life! I used to Zentangle a lot when it first started, then developed a tremor in my right hand, it broke my heart bc I felt I couldn’t ZT anymore. I put it down for year, meanwhile developing my left hand. So here I am back, not so good as before, but so therapeutic and calming. I went back to your videos first. So thank you from the deepest part of my heart! 💕🙏🏻

"Line Art" Has been one of my Absolute Favorite things to do, for over 35 years, I'm Almost 42... lol... I live on the Shore of Lake Michigan. With a Sugar sand yard as well.... I've Always found lines to be interesting. It offers a freedom you can't get, Even with the words "Abstract Art"... I Listen to my pieces as well... This is a beautiful tile.

Amazing thank you so much. I drew along with you the whole time. I feel so much lighter even listening to your voice and not really switching off and enjoying the lines. Now to try one without you Dawn x

I agree this form of art can be stressful if you try to be perfect. Once i played around for a while i started enjoying myself. That was my first day of trying this. I was so frustrated I couldnt keep the spacing and my lines were crooked and i was using a fine tip marker so i couldnt do fine lines. I was ready to give up. I got the right type of pen and just fiddled. No patterns. What a difference. Now i want to keep trying.

In these challenging and scary times, these exercises are ideal to let our emotions OUT. I like to do these on top of really loose watercolored pages, or I watercolor on top of them. So effective at reducing stress! Excellent, inspiring video. Thanks so much!☺

started yesterday drawing lines again. it really helps me to get through this crazy corona period. so in the end it also brings good things ;-)

It’s really nice to color it, too! I just found something I would love to always do in my spare time! Thank you!

Oh my goodness. I haven’t even watched this yet and I feel hopeful just from the title. Watched it. Amazing. “You can try the best you can, you can try the best you can... the best you can is good enough.” -“Optimistic,” Radiohead ❤️

This is awesome! I'm a super-perfectionist, so this whole exercise was very very zen and calming! Thank you so much!

"It's okay not to have a plan!!!! I love it. So helpful for these COVID days.

Thank you so much for doing this. Didn’t even realised how much I needed it until I found it. So grateful. Wish you all the best, beautiful soul

Thank you!! Great video and looks so relaxing. I love all of your 'philosophical' talking through it all. I think we all need to hear it and think about all of that.

Brilliant. So proud of u. U taught us how to transform and embrace bad energy.

It's really great! It's perfect for my bullet journaling! Thank you!❣️✍🏻👏🏻

I always but like always have done weird patterns and filled them up in my classes i've never seen anyone doing that before, i always thought it was so satisfying. And it is a thing!!! 😂 that's cool

I've been stuck at home over coming vertigo, and fell onto your video. Your'e a blessing. Thank you so much. Drawing has been a challenge lately, and your video is just what I needed to see. You've uplifted me, and I will be following you. Thank you.

I have been drawing lines for a few years now. I found it so relaxing. I don't really like being confined to a pattern. However, I had never known anyone else who just drew lines. (Thought I was the only one) I was so glad to run across your video and to see that someone else found drawing lines fun and relaxing, too.

Thank you Dawn! I can really tell that this sermon was from your heart! You are very passionate about the benefits of zentangle! I have observed and learned over the years that everyone needs something that excites them to do besides the mundane tasks of daily life! When my husband and I were married for about 21 years, I became chronically ill my husband changed into someone I did not know! The thought of me not being able to bring in an income to the family was extremely stressful on him , suddenly he was faced with being the sole provider of a family of five! He spent many years getting worse! Finally about one year ago my youngest son turned 16 and since a toddler he has always had a great love for motorcycles. He is very mechanically inclined so my husband knowing nothing about engines decided to buy him an old motorcycle! Mind you my husband's job is troubleshooting so together they searched online, read books, and the manual, they have now rebuilt the motorcycle! Though something like this would be stressful for you and I, it was just what he needed to excite him and challenge him and become closer to his son. It was a year-long process then I noticed he was turning back into himself! So the moral to this story is even though a person is stressed out and barely hanging on, They can learn to love life again! it was kind of like he had a several year mental block! Sometimes you just have to dive in and take the plunge to find your way back to yourself! I agree with you that for artistic people zentangle is a process that can breathe new life into the most stressed out person! I have really enjoyed listening to your stories over the past year and I thank you for being so open and honest and being yourself while you video these terrific lessons! Please continue to be true to yourself and don't let a few negative comments get you down! I just taught my son this yesterday "you can't please all the people all of the time but you can please some of the people some of the time! "Ha ha Sorry to have rambled on just wanted to express that I totally understand where you're coming from and I agree with you and appreciate you sharing how you deal with your mental blocks! I think sometimes we get so caught up in looking at other peoples artwork that we start comparing ourselves and from that moment on we begin to have trouble! Anyway thank you and have a great rest of the week! Hopefully this long comment will be helpful to someone else as well!

What a wonderful tutorial. It is perfect for the time we are in right now. I will find my notebook and start in the morning.

Dawn I want to thank you for sharing your videos. I watched many hours of your tutorials for days leading up to hurricane Irma in 2017 and this past week you have helped me greatly again .... I don't FLY I've suffered with a crippling phobia of flying for many years but I had a very special event in Nashville which I simply could not miss. I remembered how helpful your videos were for me during Irma so I gave them a try again and I'm very happy to tell you I just returned home from a wonderful weekend with some amazing people that mean the world to me. THANK YOU for what you do.

Thank you Dawn. Very insightful.

yes! my absolute favorite art therapy is just line work. detail detail line line line. love it.

I am so grateful for this video Dawn, I am so struggling with this ... I became a member of several Zentangle groups on Fb and there some show just such awesome works of art ... and it makes me feel like I'm nobody, like I can do nothing ... And this video reminds me again of the reason I fell in love with Zentangle, the meaning of it and it helps me to focus on that and not on the end result ... thank you so much xxx

This video was so comforting and relaxing. I was just tangling and lining and listening to your voice.

I think you cracked my shell wide open with these ideas and I cannot thank you enough!

From Argentina, gracias! thanks!!!! when I was sad zentangle change me. hug Dawn!

Thankyou for Your Line drawing, very helpful and calming 😊

I joined your Facebook group. This is something I can actually do!! I can't draw for anything. But this drawing lines stuff I can do!! Thanks!! Etch a Sketch!!

Dawn thank you so much for this video. I discovered this art by this video almost 2 years ago. Today due to a relapse with my mental health I am back. And reading through the comments there are a lot of people who visit this tutorial for the exact same reason. Bless you for sharing. You have touched many in need. 🙏🏼🥰

Excellent! This concept takes all the stress out of thinking of WHAT to draw and letting the pen go , not thinking of being perfect!

Really awesome! 🤩 I really enjoyed what you’ ve done. It s just what I needed here in Belgium to expérience more zen drawings !!! Thanks so much 😍for your kindness too, we feel it! Excuse my english… i follow you now straight on. Take Care and Happy New year ☘️

Thank you Dawn! This was beautiful on so many levels. Please keep making your videos. They are helpful and enlightening and just make me feel at home and motivated/ inspired to tangle!

Thank you for this video, I have been stuck or blah with tangling, now I feel inspired to put the pen to the paper. Look forward to watching more videos

Dawn, I have followed you for quite a while, and enjoyed every video you've posted. But this one really hit home. I've been tangling for about two years, and in the last couple of months I have stopped completely. Part of the reason is that my perfectionist personality rears its ugly head and I get all blocked up. I just finished your first line exercise in this video, and I feel great! I am so motivated to jump back in again! I'm going to do a few more tonight, just to get that flow back. Thank you so much! You are appreciated by so many of us that usually keep quiet about our thoughts.

Thank you Dawn!

Thank you for this it helped me immensely ️ ❤️ I love the energetic freedom that you're showing us we can tap into, perfect!

Thank you! I love it! Never thought O would say this... but now I feel like drawing! 😂😁👍❤

Thank you this is awesome ! So organic & flowing , a therapy session with pen & paper ! Keep up the fabulous work x

First time visitor! Great ideas and suggestions--especially during these days. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.

They are called Zen Gardens. You can rake over the sand with a small rake or stick drawing lines. Then you can place stones randomly in it. You can redo this over and over. It is all part of Zenful thinking. I guess like Zentangle which I love doing. *smiles* Thank you for this helpful video.

Very relaxing to watch. I just got introduced to this from of drawing and love today's approach. Staying at home is hard- thx

Thank you so much I actually like what I created while watching and listening

Thank you for getting me out of the black hole I was in!

Dawn, your right about the exercises. Peter draws does this too. Ty so much!

thanks. some lovely ideas for the first page, new sketchbook dilemma!

"Moving Meditation" = Zentangle. Drawing "Tangles" is one of the most fascinating styles of artwork I have seen yet. Love it, and it's beautiful and so realistic and calming and centered. And what a way to get "un-stuck!" Can't wait to give it a try! Thank you so much for showing us how. I would never have known how to even get started, as it really IS so simple but seems so complicated. Yet not at all! This is the kind of real Prayer that I love, and that I need in my life.

Thank you so much Dawn! This is my first visit to your channel, and I couldn't be happier. You have been a great help by showing me how to just let go! Hugs with a smile :)

Thank you for the lesson and talk. Love your perspective.

Great video on ‘personal self expression’ it opened my eyes, to the possibilities.

Thank you so much for this video. It was soothing to follow along with you and doodle lines while you talked. I haven't felt very creative in awhile but this helped so much.

Good morning, just came back to this video because I'm feeling stuck both in life and in my art journey and I just want to say thank you, this has helped me so much in remembering that sometimes we just have to let go, say " oh well " and it's turning out an awesome morning and piece of paper. 😊✌🏽💙

Thank you so much for this! You are my new Line Doctor! 😁

That pen is amazing, that you made the straight lines with. Most pens would have dried out by the time you got done.

I REALLY needed this!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

I know with kids it’s fun to get an end roll of newsprint from the printers, roll out 4 - 6 feet on the kitchen floor, and hand them a charcoal drawing stick. Even for adults this is so freeing. A little messy, but kitchen floors clean up easily, and it is really fun.

Thank you, Dawn. I love it when you wax philosophical. I watch your videos everyday and draw along with you. But I've particularly resonated to your comments on stress and perfectionism

I think YOU'RE fabulous!!! 😄😊🥰

Thank you💖 I’m drawing lines and lines and I love it 😊

Your straight wavy lines are indeed awesome! I always thought that art was beyond me because I couldn't draw a straight line! Thanks for that! :)

Thank you

Your videos are so wonderful. And I especially love this one! Thank you so much.

Watching you draw the lines is peaceful and reading the positive comments is wonderful. So im going to find a paper n a pen to start drawing with you. Thanks for sharing 😍

cool, I do 'blind doodles' and then fill it in with tangles (LOL) Im obsessed with just drawing circles. Love your lines though!

You made this look doable! Thank you will give it a go.😍😍😍👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

I’ve been searching for a video like this for a while so thank you so much for this video 💝 really appreciate it

Great process. Have a fabulous day!

I just found your channel and am so glad I did. This video was just what I needed at this time in my life. Your discussion towards the end about how drawing has helped with stress in your life was the prescription I needed. Thank you for sharing your heart....♥️

I used to make these kinds of drawings years ago, way before I ever heard of zentangle. I would do it when I had to sit somewhere and wait for something, and I needed something to do to keep my hands busy and make the time go by more pleasantly. It is really relaxing and soothing. I still love doing these kinds of drawings. Just starting out with one design, and then expanding it. No plan. Just see where the picture takes me. I think these could be used as a form of meditation, with some nice Buddha Bar music in the background maybe.

New subbie here And I Love it here...Thank you so much for this; sure needed to hear and see you...Peace, sass

Wow.sooooooo soooothinnnnnggggg.its awesome.not to mention the feeling as you run the pencil.its a wonderful cure for stress.and to top it for free as well.keep it up.

Oh WOW!!!! THIS is AAAAAMAZING!!!

Mesmerizing! My mouth has been open the whole time...

WOW!! I loved both drawings. But the one with the "straight" lines turned out amazing after the shading, especially after you blended the pencil lines in. OMG!! Beautiful. It reminded me of ripples in the sands of the ocean floor or sand dunes in the deserts(Sorry. I watch a lot of documentaries...lol) New subscriber. Can't wait to see more of your videos.

“It’s just paper and if you don’t like it, you can throw it away... it’s juuust paper.” So simple yet so genius. It’s incredible how easy it is to forget that. Thanks for your video 💕🙏

Thank you so much for this video!! I'd like to thank you in both ways: stress wise as a person who has this issue and drawing wise as a person who doesn't have such a talent but has a great desire.

as I sit her drawing my lines I recall you saying that you could not name this because you were just drawing lines but I think you could totally name this pattern. I felt like mine was reminding me of knots in a piece of wood but I think you could name this, Just break it down into 4 steps including you drawing lines perpendicular and your shading. I am doing mine with a whit jelly roll on a grey tile and its coming out pretty unique. I am going to name this tile Sewe Todd

I discovered your tangle videos, too, during the quarantine. I think these are so cool and I get such a satisfying feeling watching you tangle. Love it!

I had a great time with this video thank you so much for sharing have a bless one creative colorful hugs to you