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Greetings!
Welcome to Day 20 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 Zen in the Tangle"
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Let Your Pen Soothe Your Soul - Vol. 4
CZT Miriam Zimms writes...
"In 2010, I was diagnosed with my first cancer... Everybody talks about how hard going through cancer is. And it is very hard on all three balance points as humans - body, mind, and spirit. What we don't talk about is life after cancers to learn how to thrive and live a productive and healthy loss after these battles. And for me, it was the hardest 7 years of my life.
[Also] In 2010 I was introduced to the Healing Expressive Arts at my Cancer Center's Arts in Medicine (AIM) studio at Moffitt Cancer Center and became a Tangle Apprentice. In 2013, I was introduced to the Zentangle Art Method. And it was there in 2013 that I found my calling by using Zentangle for a daily personal healing arts practice at home, and for two straight years after my daily occupational and physical therapy rehabilitation."
Read, or revisit, Miriam'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 20 Step-Out | | |
Paradox is one of Rick's most favorite and iconic tangles. The magical thing about this tangle is that it has only one elemental stroke: traditionally, a straight line. As you repeat that straight line in paradox, it “paradoxically” results in a beautiful spiral. Even when you are familiar with how it comes together, the resulting curved-line effect is a sweet surprise.
Additionally, when paradox elements share a common side, something intriguing occurs... a new shape or pattern appears that transcends the original shapes. We call these new shapes “meta-shapes” or “meta-patterns.” You can also explore this tangle by beginning with squares, rectangles, pentagons, etc. Any shape with straight sides will do.
Don't forget to turn your tile!
Shading Tip: Add graphite to the curved lines that emerge to further emphasize the effect.
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 Jen Sumner | | Translucen-Z Opus by Molly Hollibaugh | | Share your progress photos on the Zentangle Mosaic App and other social Media sites with the hashtags #BijouBeWell2026 and #BijouBeWell2026Day20. | | | | |
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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