Guide to Zentangles in Dementia Care Zen is a Buddhist-based philosophy of meditation and intuition. Commonly, it is thought of as profound state of calm and enlightenment. By definition, it is a noun. In recent popular culture, it has been used as an adjective to describe an enlightened or peaceful quality. Zentangle is a structured form of doodles. They are based in intuition and, when practiced, create a meditative state. “Zentangles” is a registered trademark and certified instructors (CZT) are in several communities. For disclosure, I am not a CZT. I am self taught with several different books available on the subject. Although there is structure, there is no right or wrong way to do Zentangles. This fact makes it a natural failure-free activity to do with persons with dementia. Creativity has many positive benefits. Research done over the past several decades has verified that creative expression helps:
Create balance and order
Give a sense of control over the external world Make something positive out of a loss, bad experience or depression Maintain your sense of integrity Help resolve conflicts Make thought and feeling clear A greater sense of well-being and personal growth Improve relationships
Ebersole & Hess, (1998) in Positive Living Now.com The design to the right was posted by thelawsonsofspanishlakes.blogspot.com
This guide was created to provide all of those benefits to people with dementia, and those who care for them. What follows will help caregivers conduct a Zentangles session with persons with memory disorders of all kinds.
Before any activity you should prepare your supplies and ensure that you have individuals open to the creative process. For supplies you will need: Paper scraps which are at least 4”x4” (Zentangles are usually 3x3” squares). Very fine-point pens, usually black ink (micron pens are preferred, 0.1-0.7 – they are usually found in art supply stores or craft stores; I have not found them in stationery stores). Pencils, colored pencils or markers (optional for adding shading or colors). Music/lighting/appropriate surface for drawing. If people are agitated, easily worried or anxious, you might want to work 1 on 1 with them for the basic instructions. Step One
Create the environment
Most of the time, we try to create a calm, peaceful environment. I personally love classical music or new age music for relaxation. For people with cognitive disorders, too much background noise is bad: it may make focus a challenge, and when learning something new, may contribute to frustration and feelings of inadequacy or failure. Be flexible – start without music, but consider adding it in future sessions, or once the creative juices are easily flowing. For the first session, create a safe and calm environment with soft lighting, but enough lighting so that shadows are minimized. Use a table, clipboard or other surface that is comfortable for drawing. Step Two
Describe the Purpose of the Activity
Explain that there is no right or wrong way to do this activity. Point out that the “directions” are suggestions, but that people should use their own intuition to create their drawing.
Share the purpose of the activity: Creativity is a coping strategy to deal with anxiety, frustration and to channel energy. It improves overall wellness and feelings of accomplishment Physically, your heart rate will moderate, your stress hormones should decrease.
Step Three
Distribute Materials and Give Instructions
For people with cognitive disorders, it’s very important to give instructions one step at a time. Break down the steps into simple commands if needed. The more confused a person is, the more you will need to break it down. For people with very impaired memories, they may need your physical assistance to begin. 1. This is the paper you’ll draw on. 2. Choose your pen. You may want a thicker marker and a thinner pen for details. 3. For high-functioning groups, I will ask them to close their eyes and do a quick personal scan from head to toe – on a scale of 110, how would they rate their stress level? How would they rate their inner peace level? (one is low, 10 is high). They may wish to jot down those numbers in the corner on the back of the paper. 4. Draw a square approximately 3x3”. 5. Draw 1-3 “strings” – those are lines which divide up the square. 6. Fill in each section with doodles. 7. Add shading or colors. 8. Depending on the interaction, you might want to ask for feedback – a reflection, or what the drawing reminds them of (reminiscence is a great cognitive activity). 9. If you did step 3, have the participants close their eyes again and do another scan from head to toe – on a scale of 1-10, how do they now rate their stress level; and their inner peace level? Have them compare and jot it down on the back of their Zentangle paper. There are many books, videos on the internet, e-books and calendars available to teach people common doodle patterns. Here are some common ones I like: