On the first day of Christmas, Bijou gave to me . . .

 
. . . an ornament for my Christmas tree.

ADMIRE
verb: to regard with wonder, pleasure, or approval.

Ahhh. One of the best parts about creating Zentangle art is taking the time to admire and appreciate our own work. Bijou even suggests doing this while you are tangling your tile as well as when you finish.

So, enjoy your work as it evolves and then, sit back and admire it again when you feel it is done. Stretch your arm out with tile in hand, turning it this way and that to view it at different perspectives. See how your strokes come together to create something you had not imagined – something new and amazing.

And don't forget to admire others' works, taking the time to point out the parts you particularly like. "Just how did you do that version of hollibaugh?" It is so fun to see other artists' eyes light up when you admire their art. What an easy gift to give someone!

In the rush of a busy day, it's easy to forget to take a moment to admire something . . . particularly something you created. Bijou reminds us not to forget this important part of life.

FOCUS
"Focus" is both an action and a result of practicing the Zentangle Method. Bijou reminds us how creating Zentangle art and focus go hand-in-hand.

Setting aside even a little time for your Zentangle practice will allow more focus into your life. All the chaos going on in your head seems to fade into the background. Zentangle does not make the chaos go away, but it does give you a chance to take a rest from it. And, it gives you the focus that helps you to work through it.

Learn more about Bijou, our dear friend and adviser, at zentangle.com/bijou.

Molly created this cool ornament by assembling six 2" squares of chipboard into a cube. She attached a string to hang it and then covered it with black duct tape. Using double-sided tape, she then attached four completed Bijou tiles and two Bijouisms to the cube.

Et voila . . . an ornament for your tree, window, chandelier, or wherever your heart desires . . . to be an admired object of focus throughout the coming year(s)!

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What a nice time of year to take some time to have another look at some of the wonderful "zentiments" and philosophies that our friend Bijou has brought to light in what we call Bijouisms. Join us for these 12 days as we look at some of them, get re-inspired and create something fun with them.

We will randomly choose one name from our list of commenters to send a bunch of Bijou stuff to have your way with!

Join us tomorrow for Day 2!

Many thanks,

Rick, Maria, Molly, et Bijou!