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Greetings!
Welcome to Day 16 of the 2026 Bijou Be Well series!
Each year, in support of Mental Health Awareness Month, we share our Bijou Be Well series. This is a 21-day Zentangle challenge designed to encourage you to pause, breathe, and make space for yourself through small, meaningful moments of creativity.
In this year's series, alongside a daily reminder to tangle, we will share a collection of studies, articles, and stories that explore creativity and its benefits for mental well-being.
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Today, we explore the topic of...
The Zentangle Method and Veterans
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Let Your Pen Soothe Your Soul - Vol. 3
CZT Melanie Moore writes...
"Learning and sharing the Zentangle Method has changed the course of my life. I was first introduced to Zentangle an art education conference session taught by Suzanne McNeil around 2010. I was teaching art in a K-8th grade school at the time. I found it an intriguing way to introduce students to drawing; and it was something I could do within the very small art budget I was allowed. What I did not predict was the intense interest and immediate improvement in focus that happened. It was magic!...
In 2015, I joined the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) in Destin, Florida, as Education Director - where I direct touring programs and hands-on workshops for students and people with special needs. What I found missing in this area of multiple military installations and a very high percentage of veterans was an art program specifically for veterans - and particularly the wounded warrior population with visible and invisible injuries. Few people took my idea seriously, but I was given the opportunity to share the Zentangle Method with a small group of special operations wounded warriors at a retreat focusing on post-traumatic stress. One veteran in the group named me “the Bob Ross of Zentangle” (a compliment), and we received thank you letters and pictures of their continued Zentangle work when they went home. The board of the foundation took notice, and the Warrior Arts program was born."
Read, or revisit, Melanie's Zentangle story on the blog today.
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This year, we encourage you to step away from your screen, ground yourself in your space, and create without expectation.
We will begin the series with an introductory video to help you get organized and familiar with the process. Each day that follows, we will release simple instructions and a step-out of a tangle to guide you as you build your Opus tile... one tangle at a time. If the step-out is not enough, and you would like additional guidance, we will also provide a video of each tangle from some of our previous Bijou Be Well series (we are in a Time Machine this year, after all!).
Now, take a deep breath, stretch your arms over your head, roll your shoulders away from your ears, take a deep breath, and join us in today's prompt.
| | Bijou Be Well Series 2026 - Day 16 Step-Out | | |
Marasu, the original spiral reticula, was playfully named after Maria's three sisters. The four little girls used to weave creations that spiraled out of old thread spools. The addition of thick and thin inky stripes make this iconic tangle a dream to shade and highlight. Marasu is a great dramatic tangle to add to any composition, often inviting other tangles to grow out of its trumpeting coils.
Fun fact: Marasu is also the name of one of our elf characters who join us for the annual 12 Days of Zentangle.
Shading Tip: After adding generous graphite to the edges of your spiral, try using a white chalk pencil to highlight the middle of the spiral canal.
We will add a little each day, one tangle, one stroke at a time. Take your time and trust this process. Now it is time to take a deep breath and a moment for yourself to tangle.
We will continue tomorrow with a new tangle and more suggestions to carry you through the series.
Are you just joining us? You can join us from the beginning on our website, here!
| | Each day as we go along, we will share Opus tiles created by different members of Zentangle HQ! We encourage you to take progress photos along the way so you can look back and see how your tile unfolded. | | Renaissance Opus by Julie Willand | | White Opus by Martha Huggins | | Share your progress photos on the Zentangle Mosaic App and other social Media sites with the hashtags #BijouBeWell2026 and #BijouBeWell2026Day16. | | | | |
Shop Bijou's Be Well Bundles here.
Bijou's Be Well Bundles contain 2 Opus Tiles and assorted tools to tangle with specific for each surface. Each glassine envelope also contains three Bijouisms selected just for you.
Choose from white and tan Opus tiles, black Opus tiles or Translucen-Z Opus tiles.
| | The purchase of these supplies directly supports the overall production of the full 21 days of tangling in the Bijou Be Well series. We are grateful for your thoughtful support in helping make this meaningful offering possible for our community. | | Over the past few years, Bijou has shed his wisdom in the form of "Bijouisms." They have been a great way for us at Zentangle HQ to bring light to all the little philosophies behind the method that are so important to us. These cute little 2" square cards are great to use for inspiration, to make a tile around, or to use as reminders to Breathe, Create, Enjoy, and Love Your Work! | | Make sure to use the dropdown menu to select which deck you would like to purchase. | | Take Bijou and his gentle reminders with you with our collection of custom Bijou apparel. | | There is more Bijou apparel at the Zentangle Store. Take a look! | | This apparel is made specifically for you as soon as you place an order, so they will ship separately from any other Zentangle products and are not returnable. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions! | | |
The Zentangle Foundation is a non-profit organization. Due to the community's generosity, the Foundation can provide monetary support to organizations and individuals to share the Zentangle Method in their communities, support research studies to evaluate and quantify the benefits of the Zentangle Method, and support people in becoming Certified Zentangle Teachers by providing scholarships. The work to spread the Zentangle Method is essential to our recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month.
If you would like to learn more, and consider a gift, please visit the Foundation's website. Donations to The Zentangle Foundation may also be made on YouTube by clicking on the Donate button located on each video page. We thank you for your support!
| | Learn more about our upcoming events here! | | |
With Gratitude and Appreciation,
Rick, Maria, Martha, Molly, and everyone at Zentangle HQ
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