Slow Progress

I feel as though I am wading through mud today. Yet another sleepless night last night has left me tired, aching and muddle-headed.

Some progress has been made on my new workstation in the bureau corner. At least, I have made some planning decisions…

…also…

A drawer for my pens, pencils, inks etc. Look – there is room for further supplies!

…I have been organising…

A drawer for my colouring-in books

Two further empty drawers are going to house my camera equipment quite soon now, but not today.

I should like to make some progress on the colouring books. So far I have completely failed to make good use of them to fill in the down time on my travels.

Which brings me to the Zentangles, which I thought might serve a similar purpose to the colouring books. I have been encouraged by the enthusiastic recommendations of others and I have pursued some research into it but I’m just not feeling it.

Zentangles look to me like a bit of a con for parting money from the would-be creative. I am happy to be assured otherwise but right now I find that to be an inescapable conclusion. I am also nonplussed on the actual matter of creativity in Zentangling. Where exactly is the Creativity when people are encouraged to use existing published “Official” patterns? Why does this supposedly simple method require teaching via expensive lessons – which are (of course!) needed to access some of the unpublished “Official Patterns” only available to certified teachers,,, ? What am I missing here? Genuine questions – help me if you can, please.

Clearly the money-making marketing of special paper and pens can be safely ignored. I’m not that much of a muggins!

I will most likely try a few quick attempts (mustn’t call them doodles!) but I cannot see that I would have interest in simply copying what others have done. What’s the point?

So, is the whole Zentangle thing the complete rip-off that it appears to be from where I am currently standing?

If it is, then I am disappointed. I really liked the idea of something small to work on in the van at night, Back to the Tatting? (that’s interesting isn’t it? I’m quite content to feel creative whilst following pattern instructions for knitting, sewing and tatting etc. Maybe I need an Attitude Adjustment regarding doodles Zentangles.)

A stray comment on Facebook yesterday has re-ignited my interest in Mail Art and associated Mailcrossing matters. This is something that I should like to participate in again. My supplies are mostly long gone (Oh, Alcohol Inks, where art thou!) and I am left with only the basics of pencils, ink, crayons and cheap stationery. They would suffice, and perhaps I can Zentangle some DL envelopes 🙂 but I still lack the artistic skills to deploy these materials and I miss the supportive prop of rubber stamps etc. because they allowed me to create and be colourful with no need for those manual skills that I lack.

Are Postcrossing and similar Mail Art exchanges still a thing? I loved making Artistamps way back when,..

The DailyOM writing things are not moving forward on paper but the lessons may have something to do with my sleepless nights. There is much in my head. I should be jotting things down because during the day I fail to bring back those thoughts that seem so important at the dead of night. It is clear however that things are being shaken loose inside and forward psychological progress made, even if I haven’t set pen to paper. Some revelations came forth last night and some little peace was admitted.

It’s a slow process, this reconstruction of Self.

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