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Greetings!
The Zentangle Method has been an exciting and fulfilling journey, unfolding one stroke at a time. Like creating a tile, each moment has evolved naturally, guided by presence, intention, and an open heart.
Along the way, we’ve gathered countless meaningful memories, many of which we love to revisit. This year, we’re stepping into the Zentangle Time Machine to reflect on some of our favorite moments. Join us as we remember, rediscover, and perhaps even experience for the first time remarkable tangles, techniques, events, and more from years past.
This month, as we board the Zentangle Time Machine, we go back in time and appreciate all of the ways we have embraced the "No Mistakes" philosophy and all of the Zentangle magic that has come from so-called "mistakes."
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Julie writes...
In my opinion, one of the most important parts of the Zentangle Method is the "No Mistakes" philosophy.
As a recovering perfectionist, I struggled to understand and embrace this concept at first. All too often, I would look at a tile I had created and immediately focus on what was “wrong” with it: a line that wasn’t quite straight, or a tangle that didn’t go quite as planned.
Now, I am grateful for the "No Mistakes" philosophy and the mindset it has given me, both on and off the tile.
“No Mistakes” does not mean perfection. It does not mean we never make “mistakes,” or rather, mis-strokes. It is about how we respond when things don’t go quite as expected. When tangling, our pens sometimes seem to have minds of their own. A line goes somewhere we didn’t intend, or things look different from how we imagined they would. It can be tempting to start over and send that tile straight into the tile graveyard.
The "No Mistakes" philosophy invites us to pause before deciding that something has gone wrong. Instead, we can look for possibilities we might not have seen before. It encourages us to find beauty in the unexpected and teaches us to become curious instead of critical.
Sometimes, what we first see as a mistake is simply an invitation to look again.
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2004: In the early days of the Zentangle Method, Rick and Maria chose all of the materials with great intention. The tangling surface was a 3.5" square, allowing you to create something beautiful in one sitting, on beautiful, high-quality 100% cotton artist paper. But, how did Zentangle tiles get their signature deckle edge? Well, that was a happy accident. One day, Rick put some of his tiles in his jeans pocket and forgot about them before throwing the jeans into the wash. The tile and its tangles survived both the washer and the dryer, but during the cycle acquired lovely rounded corners and a frayed natural edge, similar to the deckle edge of the large sheets of mould-made paper. Rick and Maria loved how beautiful this made the tiles and decided to die-cut the Zentangle tiles to add another layer of charm to the drawing surface.
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March 2009: The tangle munchin is a wonderful story about finding opportunity in failure. In her early years of tangling, Molly found herself discouraged after countless attempts trying to create the tangle paradox. Frustrated and ready to give up, she encouraged herself not to focus on the so-called mistakes, but instead to look for opportunities within them. It was in that moment that she saw something different in the strokes on her tile, and after playing around with the straight lines in a way that flowed for her, the tangle munchin was born.
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May 2010: Sometimes, despite our best efforts, there are simply strokes we do not want on our tile. There is no eraser in the Zentangle Method, but at a CZT training in 2010, Maria came up with a way to "revise" a so-called mistake, the bronx cheer!
| While originally intended to cover something on your tile, over the years, the bronx cheer has become a tangle all on its own, appearing on our tiles, even when there was no mistake to begin with. Or was there? No one will ever know. | | -
June 2010: Perhaps the most notable "No Mistakes" moment in Zentangle history occurred when Maria returned home from a calligraphy convention to discover that walnut ink had leaked all over her treasured Zentangle "field notes" book.
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A few days later, she revisited the journal with a new perspective. She began tangling on the ink-stained spots with a white Gelly Roll pen. What was first something unplanned and unwanted became something more beautiful and unexpected than they could have imagined.
Maria's ink-stained journal became more than just a collection of ideas and tangles. It became the heart of the "No Mistakes" philosophy. The ink stain has become a symbol for this resilience and has inspired products and projects for years.
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August 2010: Rick and Maria had come up with a new tangle and were sharing it online when they made a typo in the instructions. Instead of writing "between," they wrote "betweed." Someone commented that this "mistake" would be a great tangle name - and they were right! Betweed was the tangle taught in Rick and Maria's first instructional YouTube. You can watch this tutorial here. Oh, how far we've come!
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April 2011: In the midst of planning a CZT Training, Rick and Maria learned that the retreat center they intended to use to host the training had been sold, and they needed to find a new location. This unexpected change in plans led Rick and Maria to Providence, Rhode Island. Rhode Island would become the home of CZT Training for next fifteen years.
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October 2013: Have you ever been tangling away only to realize that your pen has started leaking? Maybe even all over the tile you are working on? This happened once to CZT Margaret Bremner, who shared on her blog that she simply wiped the ink onto her tile, making it part of her composition. You can see more about this on Margaret's blog.
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July 2019: Zentangle Project Pack No. 06 celebrates the "No Mistakes" philosophy. In this series, we used both black and white inks on custom-made, hand-dipped, ink-stained journals, inspired by Maria's very own field notes journal. Each video in this series features an awe-inspiring tangling tutorial, paired with "No Mistakes" stories from members of ZHQ.
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August 2026: In a recent printing of Bijouisms, the printer made a mistake and printed a lot of Patience... and we mean a lot. It is hard not to take this mishap as a sign that maybe we all need a little more patience. So, this month, we are sharing some of that extra Patience with all of you. Throughout the month of August, every order placed on Zentangle.com will include a Patience Bijouism. A gentle reminder and a bit of encouragement for when things are not going quite as planned.
| | Zentangle Time Machine Treasures | | Inspired by Maria's journal, the ink stain has become the signature mark of the "No Mistakes" philosophy, a bold reminder to look for beauty and opportunity in unplanned or unexpected situations. This month, we have put together a special "No Mistakes" Bundle, including hand-dipped, ink-stained tiles, available for a limited time. | | Limited Edition "No Mistakes" Apparel | | But wait... there's more! | | Become a Certified Zentangle Teacher | | |
CZT 44 - October 25-28, 2026
Join us for CZT Training in Mystic, Connecticut, or online!
We recommend registering as early as possible, as we expect in-person spots to fill quickly.
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Save the Date! CZT 45 (online only): July 16-18, 2027.
Our next in person seminar will be held in spring 2028.
For more details about our CZT Training program, please visit our website.
| | | | One thing we love about Lady Aura is that she loves to repeat herself. In 2026, Lady Aura will be sharing blogs, newsletters, and products that you may have missed. Be sure to check them out! | | |
With Gratitude and Appreciation,
Rick, Maria, Martha, Molly, and everyone at Zentangle HQ
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