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Greetings!
The Zentangle Foundation is celebrating its 7th anniversary!
Over the past seven years, we have grown slowly and steadily, one deliberate stroke at a time, learning how to build a nonprofit from the ground up while offering meaningful support to our growing community.
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Our work is guided by three core pillars:
- Training and certifying teachers in the Zentangle Method
- Providing grants and materials to organizations using the Zentangle Method to support their communities
- Funding scientific research that measures the benefits of the Zentangle Method in healthcare and beyond
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2025 has been a milestone year!
For the first time, the Zentangle Foundation proudly supported two scholarship recipients, awarded multiple organizational grants, and funded a new pilot research study.
You can meet one of our scholarship recipients, Joni Freed, in today’s blog. His story reflects the heart of what your support makes possible.
This year, the generosity of our community helped us provide material and financial support to:
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Fairy Godmother Project, serving parents facing their child’s pediatric cancer journey
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Me-One Foundation, offering care to families with an adult in active cancer treatment
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Wellspring Alberta, addressing the non-medical impacts of cancer through community-based programs
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Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, bringing art to the military community as a vital part of whole-person wellness
We also partnered with McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, to fund an innovative pilot study exploring the Zentangle Method as a group-based adjunct treatment for individuals with substance use disorders.
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| The impact of this work is best expressed by the people who receive it. Their words and the voices of the communities they serve remind us why this mission matters so deeply. Below are a few reflections that highlight the real-world difference we are making. |
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“With your assistance, we have been able to offer a total of 82 Zentangle classes to active-duty military service members and veterans; surpassing our goal of 75 for 2025. Led by Certified Zentangle Teachers Melanie Moore (CZT 26) and Charles Burkett (CZT 39), Warrior Arts served support groups for Combat Veterans, Female Veterans, Special Operations Veterans, Traumatic Brain Injury, Post Traumatic Stress, Military and Sexual Trauma, Reintegration Training, and Resiliency Support. Classes were offered in person, virtually, and mixed delivery to allow for local and national/international participation. Having ample supplies donated by the Zentangle Foundation allowed for a kit for each veteran to experience both the magic of tangling as a collective experience; as well as the opportunity to explore and deepen their practice on their own.
Our veterans and military members appreciate Zentangle Method’s unique ability to both ‘tangle up’ with compelling and challenging patterns, while being able to ‘power down’ all that distracts them from experiencing inner peace.”
– Melanie Moore, Director of Education, Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation
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“After several years in the military operating in high-pressure, time-sensitive environments, I found that even at the end of the day my mind stayed connected to the mission. Sports, reading, drawing, and puzzles helped a little, but very few things truly let me disconnect. When I entered retirement, I was invited to a Zentangle event, and it immediately felt new and intriguing. I loved the idea of not needing every stroke to be perfect, that every tile is unique and valuable, that no line has to be erased, and that the ‘imperfections’ add character and reveal something different each time I rotate the tile. The subtle touches with the tortillon and smudging the graphite to my liking give me the freedom to explore creativity without judgment. Zentangle is one of the few activities where I lose track of time, forget about everything else, and finish feeling calm and in a better place after each class.”
– Army Special Operations Veteran
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“I’ve been battling PTSD for 5 years, and thought I had used all the resources available and then along came Zentangle, it’s a game changer in my life
I thought meds and life style changes were the only answer…. And I actually had the materials sitting in my house for years, a pencil, pen, paper and a positive attitude…
It was there all along. Warrior Arts has my support for any Veteran that needs help with struggling PTSD
Try it - you have nothing to lose, other than your sanity and life”
– Army Special Operations Veteran
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“Wish we had done this sooner.”
“I really enjoyed the class. Made me feel good. My mind was clear.”
“Less stress, more driven.”
– Active-duty military service members undergoing the Intensive Outpatient Program for traumatic brain injuries, Intrepid Spirit Center, Eglin Air Force Base
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“Zentangle continues to be one of our most popular and impactful programs at Wellspring, offering a creative and meditative approach that helps reduce stress, foster mindfulness, and support emotional well-being for individuals living with cancer and their caregivers. The goal of the Zentangle program is to provide a gentle, accessible outlet for self-expression and relaxation, supporting participants in managing the emotional and psychological impacts of a cancer experience.”
– Wellspring Program Organizer
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"I suffer from anxiety and major depression disorder, and I find it very difficult to cope. Zentangle has opened my mind and heart and helped tremendously."
– Wellspring Programming Attendee
| | | Your support truly makes this work possible. | | As we look ahead, we invite you to help us continue expanding access, deepening research, and changing lives - one stroke at a time. If you feel inspired, please consider making a donation to the Zentangle Foundation. Your contribution fuels healing, creativity, and hope. | | The Zentangle Foundation is a registered U.S. nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. | | | | |
