Thread

Tangles used: Sankegg, Ixorus, Ix, Paradox, and Hollibaugh.

Do I have your attention now? In case you missed it, that is a Zentangle on a snake. Bet that's the first time you've seen that, huh? I'll explain why there's a snake in the picture later...

As you might have guessed, I did the tile for the Diva's Weekly Zentangle Challenge, which was to use the tangle Sankegg. I enjoyed doing the tangle, but I think I'll require some more practice to really get all "zen" about it. I probably should have added more Sankegg since the whole challenge was to use it, but it wasn't coming to me and I didn't want to force it. This tile was all about lines for me, which has been a theme of my tiles more and more lately. Perhaps there's some deep psychological meaning behind those lines, but I don't know what it is!

Now for the snake: my sister found and caught two snakes while working on an outdoor service project last week. She loves animals and nature, so she decided to bring the little, aggressive snake and this big, mellow snake home. She released the little snake in the backyard, but this big guy has stayed in a cage. He's really a nice fellow, simply fascinating to watch. Twisting and curling around her arm, curiously muscling up and down, long tongue flicking sporadically. I'm not a huge snake lover (I haven't even mustered the courage to touch this one yet!), but I don't mind them when they're nice like Thread.

Thread (the snake's given name) reminded me a lot of the threads of hollibaugh running through my tile this week, so I thought I'd break out the camera and unite the two. Clicking that shutter button at just the right moment, I triumphantly photographed this image:

I love how the fork in the snake's tongue mimics the shape and direction of Sankegg! Too cool.

Before I bid you adieu, I wanted to say a few things about my video Zentangle in Motion. Ever since Rick and Maria featured it on their blog it has generated so much interest and many, many page views. Folks have even been asking permission to play it in workshops and classes! I'm ecstatic that a video I made almost on a whim two summers ago is playing a part in teaching and entertaining tanglers around the world. Truly a humbling experience.

I've promised several times to do another video, but with school and other commitments I've been hard pressed to find time. I've had it in my head that I would produce the video after school ends in December and before it begins anew in January. A wrench has been thrown rudely yet wonderfully in the way, however. I found out last week that I was accepted into the Disney College Program for Spring 2013. This means that I will go down to Walt Disney World in Florida, live in an apartment and work as a Main Entrance Operations cast member for five months! Woo hoo! 

I'm sure you can see my dilemma: will I have time between school end and College Program beginning to make a new Zentangle in Motion? It's possible I'll be busy preparing and have no time; though it's equally possible that I'll have all the time in the world. 

I say all of this to ask for your help. If I'm able to produce a new video in that time frame,  I want to make it helpful and interesting to as many folks as possible. It's difficult for me to know what you want to see, so I've made a way for you to tell me. Look at the left sidebar, just under my bio. You should see a poll for you to vote in. I'd love to know your opinion on what you'd like to see! I have grand ideas for a video, but they all would involve much effort, sinfully expensive camera equipment, and lots and lots of time. I've come to the realization that I don't need to do something grander, I just need to do something, anything. I've grown in tangling so much between when I made the first video and now, so whatever I end up doing, even if it's very similar to the last one, will be unique and, hopefully, better.

We'll see how blogging goes when I'm at Disney. I've considered putting this blog on hiatus and starting another blog just about my Disney experience. Would anyone be interested in reading something like that? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for making it this far! May your day be blessed.