Thursday 3 November 2011

Please don't call it a Doodle

High up on my horse right now!   I have noticed quite a few people calling what they do "doodles".   If you are intentionally using paper and pen, pencil or any other medium to make deliberate marks on paper - you are DRAWING (sorry about the raised voice).    Doodling is mindless, no direction, no intention and your mind is occupied elsewhere.   In a meeting, I doodle - my mind is concentrating on what the speaker is saying, or in some cases, what I am cooking for dinner.   While on the phone, I doodle - my mind is thinking about what I am saying, whom I am saying it to etc .... do you get the picture.

So, in my opinion (and you don't have to agree with me), when you intentionally draw something it is called a drawing.   When you intentionally draw something using the Zentangle method of string and patterns, you are tangling and you have created a Zentangle.    

I know that a lot of you, probably most of you, put in a lot of effort and thought into what you draw, so please don't degrade it by calling it Doodling.   You are drawing. 

Okay, hopping off the horse before I get bucked off for now.

Happy tangling .... Jane x

17 comments:

  1. THANK YOU JANE! I've been considering a post on this topic and you've done it. (It will probably need repeating so I'll refer folks to yours when I get up on my horse in the future!)
    --Margaret

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  2. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for speaking out - you're not alone.

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  3. Got it out of your chest! Bravo for speaking up! *Applause*

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  4. Bravo.... love the horse you rode in on !!! Well said... Thank you !!!

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  5. Yeah Jane ~ Thank you!

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  6. Great post!! Good explanation and I promise to not 'doodle' in my zen book any more but will only 'tangle'!! I don't 'draw' (but trace really well!) so tangling is a great way for me to feel like I can 'draw' some things!! thanks again for clearing this up for so many!

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  7. so true, I agree....
    also, no one could certainly call anything you do a "doodle", Miss Jane...they is works of art...

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  8. I think beginners like myself sometimes hesitate to actually call them drawings because that implies a certain skill level. It's like me dabbling with my paints and calling myself an artist, when I'm really just trying, just learning. However, the point is well taken that if the marks are made with intention and purpose, the result is a drawing. My tangles will no longer EVER be referred to as a doodle! :)
    Thanks for sharing - I always love a good vent!

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  9. That is so so cool Terrie! Thankyou everyone for commenting. It is so nice to know that it is not just me who objects to calling drawing "doodling". And for what it is worth ... we all start at the beginning to get to wherever we are on this journey called Art! Jane x

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  10. Jane, I thought about it more last night and wondered about a couple more tangling issues. If a tangle is drawn on other than the 3.5" format, without using a string, or using other than official tangles, is it a Zentangle or ZIA? I guess the question is - what's the difference between a Zentangle and ZIA? Just wondering.....

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  11. Sorry what i do IS doodling.....but then i don't think using that word is a downgrade. Doodling , drawing i really don't see the difference. But thats just me.

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  12. Sometimes we need to allow ourselves a change in perspective that takes our work, whether drawing, quilting, sewing to a different place and the wording helps us change that perspective. I want to change a class title from Doodle your way to better quilting to something that will allow quilters to see how intentioned practicing will help them to be better quilters.
    Thanks for the soap box!
    Teri

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  13. Well this post certainly got some brains thinking! Jinxxxygirl, I did say you didn't have to agree with me ... this is my blog and my opinions, everyone has their own ideas ... this is just mine so I am glad you have your own also. Terrie, I do a lot of drawings, not all are ZIA's (Zentangle Inspired Art). I think of ZIA's as those that use the Zentangle patterns and/or the concept of the string. Having said that I have used the string concept for years and years with my black and white ink art ... if you looked at some of my work before I had heard of Zentangle ... you would think I knew about Zentangle. This is why I have so many of my own "patterns". It is a hard thing to say that what I do now has no influence from Zentangle ... but I guess it does to a certain degree. I have evolved and have actually been able to bring all of my "drawing styles" together to create ZIA's. The latest work I am doing (see my latest posting) this is a ZIA because I am using some official Zentangle patterns. I hope this helps.

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  14. I think people should be able to call it whatever they want to call it. There are too many rules in life. As soon as people start telling others what to say or do, that just sucks all the fun out of it.

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  15. Like I said Terri ... it is just my opinion and you don't have to agree! I personally think that naming something in a more upbeat way can do a lot for a person's self confidence and appreciation of their own art, and I definately never ever suck the fun out of anything. x

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