This week's challenge is: "Eyes Wide Shut!"
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to draw your string* with your eyes closed. I was pretty excited to do this one - but when i finally found a minute or two to sit down and actually do it, i was thoroughly unimpressed with my string.
*a string is the term for the pencil line that cuts up the tile into sections
Eyes Closed - a string |
My first instinct was to start over and try to do something that 'looked cooler'... and then i thought... "C'mon, Laura, it's supposed to be a challenge. So, rise to it" (Or something equally wise and insightful, in reality it was probably something enlightening like: "aw, crap.")
When i finished the tile, i showed it to my husband and he said: "How was the process?"
I said, "What do you mean?"
and he quoted back to me something i tell my students all the time: "It's about the process, not the product."
so i thought for a moment and then said:
"Well, i started thinking it was going to look bad, cuz the string was so small and confining, but then i took a deep breath and thought, okay - i'll just start with this little section, then do this next little section, until the whole thing was done. One step at a time."
(thanks baby, for reminding me)
So, here it is - my tile in all it's glory:
Click to enlarge |
not bad, huh?
So close those eyes, and see what you can create!
If you have a blog, add the site-specific URL where your tile is posted to the linkey machine below! Don't forget to link back here so that others can join in the fun! (if you don't know how do find this, you can see my half assed tutorial here)
If you don't have a blog but still want to participate, you can email your tile to me and i will post it here. (See the contact tab above for my email address)
I am going to make the deadline for each weekly challenge Saturday night so that i can round everyone up by Sunday. What this means is that i will stop adding tiles to the slideshow on Sunday. You're still more than welcome to do the challenges and add your name to the linkey machine. It's just getting kinda tricky with latecomers wanting their tiles added - which isn't a problem right now, as we're only on week three, but i see this as more of a problem as the weeks continue.
I'm also going to try to be more diligent with the linkey machine - by editing out the ones that don't work, the doubles, the links that lead to nowhere, the links that go just to blog home pages (this is why we need those site specific urls), and the spam. And there is some spam. :(
Have a great week everyone!
I LOVE this exercise! Very left brain! :)
ReplyDeleteThe process is the point, I suppose. In any case, LOVE how your inspiration turned out! :) Can't wait to post mine later today!!!
[mutters to self] theprocesstheprocesstheprocesstheprocesstheprocess.....
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying this challenge - agree about the spaces feeling too small to work with, and I also had some dangling ends that were a challenge, but as has been said, isn't this what its all about?
ReplyDeleteI did it!!!! Wee. :o)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what happens with this one!
ReplyDeleteThis should prove very interesting. Can I peek?
ReplyDeleteFun fun fun!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the double post...I forgot to paste in the new address;)
ReplyDeleteGreat fun! I immediately had to do a second one!
ReplyDeleteI am excited to try this one! I have been quite frustrated with my strings lately; thus your words about the process are very appropriate for me.
ReplyDeleteLaura, I re-posted the url the linking thing, so I guess, you will delete my first attempt to just my blog. Let me know if I did it correctly. It's wonderful what everyone is doing with this, out of our comfort zone challenge. They all look fantastic.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great challenge this was! I think, I will redo it several times…
ReplyDeleteLove your way of expanding the borders of your string!
"Eyes Wide Shut" wasn't a fun movie, but this was definitely a fun exercise. I tried not to fall into the trap of making my string too small, but it didn't work; my string only filled one third of the tile. Sorry, I forgot to scan the string beforehand, but I think you can tell there it is. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Laura, your string was definitely prettier than mine and your tangle reflected that!
ReplyDeleteif i'm not too late,here i am...i recovered the missing "weeks"...
ReplyDeletelike your challange!
Fun challenge!!! Will be trying more of this in the future.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool idea - one I wouldn't have ever thought to try! So many wonderful zentangles to look at - yummy! Thanks again Laura, and thanks for the gentle reminder to add the correct link to our Blog - loved your ....tutorial!
ReplyDeleteI really liked starting with the string "blind". I too found that what my brain had been "seeing" was much smaller on the actual paper... I plan on using this when I need a jump start! I look forward to going back and trying the two previous challenges & participating in more!
ReplyDeleteYou now find me tangled in Challenges. I seem to create challenges within challenges. Something like dreams within dreams. This week I created a big and little theme to my tile in addition to the eyes closed and open.
ReplyDeletethis was fun! thanx so much for starting this!
ReplyDeleteHi Laura,
ReplyDeleteI've uploaded the new link...didn't think about it going to the home page!
Okay, ya got me good! Peeped in on my lunch hour (ha! - that's a good one!), and had to grab a pen and paper right away to try it out! Tempted as I am to do it again "properly", I am being true to the spirit of the challenge and going with what presented itself, gooey gel pen, scratch pad paper and all! Thanks for the inspiration and the ideas...
ReplyDeleteChristina
http://startartblog.blogspot.com/
Super idea, it was a mystery in the making!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the 2nd post but I think it's right now!
ReplyDeleteAlright...I have returned with my tangle! Very fun exercise! Thank you for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteok.i've done it.you can erase my previous entry.sorry.it was too late...and thank you for your kind comment!
ReplyDeleteHi, I was recently recommended a visit to your site and am very happy to have come here. I hope to participate in the near future. Such wonderful art here.
ReplyDeleteI just thought I'd let you know that I've added this challenge to a short list of challenges I have compiled on my website - http://inspired.gumnut.net/challenge-directory/
I hope you don't mind, but I thought I'd share the fun.
Nutty
(who loves a good zentangling)
I loved doing this!
ReplyDeleteLaura, I corrected my url to be site-specific. You can delete my first entry. I'll try to be more aware next time I post.
ReplyDeleteFun - I did week 2 but didn't get it posted in time.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity Mister Linky doesn't have a captcha on it...to reduce spam!
ReplyDeleteWhat a challenge, i actually got sick of filling in the string as I felt like I was finishing off someone elses work and it bugged me !!! ha ha I wonder what reflection that has on my life :) I finally realised how to post the site specific link, sorry about the double post :)
ReplyDeleteThis challenge definitely ranked high on my enjoyment meter. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYour story about the process inspired me to give it a try. I'm happy with the result. Thanks for a great challenge.
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog today. Zentangle looked like so much fun, I had try it.
ReplyDeleteI just found out about this challenge and I will start playing next week. Trying to get back into the "zone"
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! Love your challenge! Keep it up... eventually I'll get to play.
ReplyDeleteLove what you did with your tangle! It is like a flower floating over that beautiful background. I keep looking at it to see how you got that background in so beautifully.
ReplyDeleteGreat challenge for me - found the luv I had missing with strings. Thanks
ReplyDeleteHope I'm not too late!! Here's my tile for this week!
ReplyDeleteA great challenge. fun!
ReplyDeleteOK, I got my tangle in last night. I just forgo to sign up until now.
ReplyDeleteAs previously discussed, I have revisited Eyes Wide Shut...I have posted my 2nd challenge tangle for this week. Thank you for looking!
ReplyDeleteHere are my tiles for weekly challenges 1, 2, 3 and 4.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/cookies_creations/5352401279/
Simplicity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cookies_creations/5352401517/in/photostream/
2 Pencil String
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cookies_creations/5352401667/in/photostream/
Eyes wide shut
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cookies_creations/5353011520/in/photostream/
Starry Eyed Surprise
These are the link to them.
This challenge has prompted a new statement, "Objects in perception may be smaller than they appear".
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post, I concentrated really hard to NOT make the string (specifically the loops) small...guess what, they were much smaller than my mind perceived them to be.
Makes you want to get all deep and connect that new found awareness to other aspects of life, doesn't it? Well, it does for me anyway :)
Hey,
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to catch up :)
So I added my 'eyes wide shut' tile. I know I don't have to catch up, but I want to :)
Thanks so much for making me tangle :)
This was fun!
ReplyDeleteI'm not so happy with my tile but I'm still glad I did the challenge. :)
ReplyDeletei am really enjoying these challenges and plugging away working through them as I learn more and more!! Thanks for doing this!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure I was going to like this challenge and really fought with myself to not redraw my string. I'm glad I stuck with it because this is one of my favorites that I've done so far.
ReplyDeleteI am like a couple others....I wanted to redo my string when I looked at it. I was a good girl tho. : ) I used my first one and then had fun seeing what came out of the tangle side of my brain. ~~ tangled terrie lynn
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I overthink everything so much, maybe I should draw ALL my strings with my eyes closed!
ReplyDelete