Thursday, July 21, 2011

Expectations of Fairyland

The Diva's Challenge this week is as follows:


...  to create a Zentangle environment where fairies would feel at home.  There are lots of tangles that have full fairy approval and affection!  Have fun!

Well, I guess I'm getting old or something because I haven't talked to the fairies for many a year and I was stumped.  I made a few new tangles that Birdie told me were definitely NOT fairy-like. I even went through some of my older "unpublished" tangles.  Nothing.  


Finally, in exasperation, Birdie told me, "Fairies like flowers. Tinkerbell LIVES in a flower."


With that to go on, I drew a very swirly string and started with Enyshou, thinking the fairies would like something soft.  Things went downhill from there.  When I finished, I still didn't think it was very fairy-like, so I thought instead of shading it with regular pencil, I'd shade it with pink.  I may be old, but I do know that fairies like pink!  Then I decided that there was a need for highlights, so I got out the yellow pencil as well.  




I still don't like it, but I think it was because of my expectations for what it SHOULD look like.  Very un-Zentangle.  I tell my students that their work will always look like a Zentangle and they shouldn't have expectations.  That way they will be surprised by the result.  I need to listen to myself! 


Michael Landon said it best:  Dreaming is one thing, and working towards the dream is one thing, but working with expectations in mind is very self-defeating.


Here's hoping that you will let go of expectations and enjoy the process.  That is truly fairy-like.

6 comments:

  1. Lovely. Very intricate and delicately drawn lines. I can see Tinkebell flitting in and out of these tangles!

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  2. Your process and Zentangle are lovely. Pink and flowing, what more could a fairy ask for? I think I see one nestled in the corner :)

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  3. It is a FLOWER fairy :-) (Thanks!)

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  4. Listening to oneself is a very hard lesson I'm currently experiencing... Your tangle is lovely..itlooks like a bird's eye view of a garden with paving, flowerbeds and a lovely willow tree...!

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  5. Thanks, Penny for the encouragement and the fresh perspective on my tile. I like your interpretation. It makes me smile.

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Your comments brighten my day. Thanks.

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