This week has been a crazy whirlwind of parties, school, and Zentangle. I want to tell you all about it but until I have some pictures to add, I'm going to hold off on letting you in on all the exciting news. Also, I apologize for the late posting but I fell asleep on the couch last night and then work was crazy today so I just couldn't pull it together to get the Dare up in time. Twenty four hours late isn't so bad though, right? Zendala Dare #43 - Feeling like an artist What make's someone an artist? Is it when you get paid for your work? Is it when you finally have a gallery show? Is it when someone else calls your work "art?" Art is something we encounter in one way or another almost everyday, yet it also one of the most subjective things we evaluate. I'll be honest, there are plenty of things that other's would call "art" that I wouldn't give a second look and I'm sure that they would say the same about some pieces that I find magnificent. I remember the first time I created something that I thought was art. It was a necklace that I created entirely on my own. It had a large stone cabachon in the middle with intricate beaded fringe, a beautiful spiral rope strap, and a handmade clasp. I used no one else's pattern and no one helped me create it. No one was going to pay me for it. It wasn't going to make it into a gallery. MOMA was not going to come calling. But it was mine. My thoughts, my work, my colors, my creation. It was something that I was previously unable to create. And that's why it was art. For me, something become's "art" because I stretched my creativity to a place that I considered previously unattainable. When I create something I thought I could never create, that's when it becomes art for me. Sure, other's may not consider it art, but at that time I consider myself an artist. If you follow that theory, then I am a constantly evolving version of the same artist because (hopefully) my work just keeps getting better and better. One day while searching Netflix for something to kill time I came across a documentary called Herb and Dorothy. It's the story of a working class couple who become two of the most prominent art collector's in the world. You can watch the trailer here. They don't have much money but the choose to look at art work in a different way and collect works that most traditional collector's would never consider. They manage to compile an impressive collection of modern art that rivals that of many museums. This documentary completely changed how I viewed art and the art world and made me realize that my Zentangle's truly were art. Another interesting film regarding how we as a society view art is Exit Through the Gift Shop. That's why I love Zentangle because it give's me the ability to constantly better myself. When I created my first Zentangle, it was a simple tile that used Hollibaugh as a string and then I filled in the spaces with Florz, Cubine, and Knightsbridge. I remember finishing it and thinking, "Wow, that looks like actual art!". To compare that to my work now, it's pretty simplistic, but I still consider it art because it was something I was previously unable to accomplish. Now, as anybody who tangles knows, some tangles are easier than others, and some appear more impressive in the finished pieces. It's when those impressive tangles come together that I feel most like an artist. It's the first Saturday of the month so I am presenting you with an added challenge. Fill the template below with your favorite tangles but I want you to feature one (or a few) that make you feel like the amazing artist that you are. You know the one's I mean, the one's that make you go "Wow, I'm getting pretty good at this! I'm creating beautful art!" Here's this weeks template: Link to Zendala Dare #43 template I chose the official tangle Zinger for my two tiles Tangle: Zinger I chose Zinger because even though it's just a few short lines sitting atop a long one, it makes me feel like I have alot of freedom when drawing it. I can be big, small, wavy or straight. The more freeform, organic tangles are my favorites and Zinger fits right in. The tile above is a monotangle. I thought about adding other tangles but in the end I decided I didn't need them. Tangles: Zinger, Florz I feel that this tangle is slightly less successful but still interesting. I especially like how the stemless Zinger's came out on the edge. The look like little beehives. I feel like Zinger epitomizes the Zentangle motto of "one stroke at a time." With each stroke I feel more and more like I am creating rather than just drawing. It's tangles like Zinger that make me feel like an artist. Join in this week's Zendala Dare and show us your most impressive tangles. Remember to link up below and tell us why you chose the tangles you did. I can't wait to see the results! Erin