An Art-Full Life
At 70 years old, I proclaimed in a public theatrical performance, “There’s a lot more creativity waiting to express itself.” Built on my belief that stepping out of my comfort zone is the way to transform, I gathered my courage and embarked on this journey of a theatrical performance, and then my mandala art.
Through this courage, I’ve overcome the “you’re not an artist,” message I received as a child and my own doubts about pursuing something I love.
My art has a vibrant and creative life of its own! From a walk, a dream or conversation, a simple idea shows up and dances easily from pen to paper. I I know that sharing my healing art is what I am being guided to do in this chapter of my life.
Being introduced to the practice of zentangle® in 2013 opened a whole new world for me. Zentangle has inspired my Mandalas with a Message prints and cards. Using Micron pens, watercolor pencils, and colored pencils, I create beautiful drawings that come from relaxing into the moment, a form of Yoga for the Brain.
As a Certified Zentangle Teacher, I frequently hear “I can’t draw”, “I’m not an artist”, “I can’t sit still that long”. My students soon discover that this process requires no artistic background. Seasoned artists also enjoy learning this technique. This is an easy-to-learn, relaxing method of creating beautiful designs using structured patterns. The best thing is there are no mistakes. An Oops often takes them somewhere unexpected and delightful. Other benefits are improved motor skills, focus and self confidence.
I offer zentangle® Basics and Beyond Basics classes in my West Asheville studio. You can contact me at michelle@marshallartsavl.com.
For more information on zentangle check out www.zentangle.com
Zentangle! Who me?? After hearing more and more about this fun, meditative and satisfying mode of creativity, I decided to take a series of lessons from Michelle. I’d been resistant and shy about embarking on an unfamiliar artistic journey that required me to sit still, focus attentively on ‘one stroke at a time’, and create seemingly elaborate and detailed patterns on a small piece of cardboard paper. Behold! With Michelle’s patience, good humor and skilled instructions, I learned do it and to truly enjoy the process of creating. I’ve come to love the meditative quality of awareness that arises when creating Zentangle art. It’s amazing to me how each pattern emerges to create an organic whole that weaves and dances with other organic patterns. The result is a unique testimony to the latent creativity within me that’s been waiting to emerge. Zentangling is FUN, too. Michelle’s classes are very special. She creates a playful reverence for the Zentangle materials and process. Also, there’s something really nurturing about being part of a small group of Zentanglers involved with the creative process together. We learn better together. By the end of each class, I found my heart leaping with wonder and delight as we shared our Zentangle creations with each other. I now have an expanding collection of creations to share with others. And, I keep expanding my own capacity to create Zentangle inspired art. Thank you, Michelle!
