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Greetings!
Before we begin, we want to remind you that today at 5:00 PM EST (2:00 PM PST), Rick and Maria will appear on the NPR podcast, A Conversation with the Reluctant Therapist.
In this special conversation, Rick and Maria will explore the creative process, the origins of the Zentangle Method, and the many ways creativity can support mindfulness, well-being, and connection.
Listeners will also have the opportunity to call in with questions and join the conversation live.
We invite you to tune in and listen as they share stories, insights, and reflections on the power of intentional creativity.
Find out how to listen here.
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Welcome to Day 9 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.
Today and tomorrow, we investigate the topic of...
Zentangle and Trauma Therapy
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CZT Jennifer Marchand writes...
"As a mental health professional and registered Canadian art therapist specializing in trauma recovery, my focus has always been on grounding healing work with creativity, embodiment, and culturally responsive care. Over the past decade, I have been integrating the Zentangle Method into trauma therapy across a diverse range of contexts and cultural settings as a powerful stabilization tool, particularly by combining it with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and the Flash Technique. What I have witnessed, time and again, is that Zentangle offers clients an accessible, safe, and empowering way to fully engage in trauma recovery work."
Read the first part of Jennifer'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 9 Step-Out | | |
Keeko arrived on the tangle scene many years ago. It is a simple texture tangle that always surprises with its simplistic elegance. It is unique in that it is comprised of just one elemental stroke, then aura, and repeat. One, two, three, four... one, two, three, four. This tangle really allows you to let go and let your pen take over. The resulting pattern creates a kind of checkerboard texture. Add shading and WOW!
Tangling Tip: Keeko can be done with straight lines, or you can add a gentle curve to your lines for a more tufted 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 Julie Willand | | Translucen-Z Opus by Jean Moroski | | Share your progress photos on the Zentangle Mosaic App and other social Media sites with the hashtags #BijouBeWell2026 and #BijouBeWell2026Day09. | | | | |
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. | | |
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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