The end of October also brings the close of my first experience participating in an art challenge called Inktober. The intention of Inktober is to create a daily practice of making art about a new theme each day. When I learned that the Phoenix Biomedical Campus (PBC) would be hosting an Inktober challenge, I was eager to participate and experience the Inktober hype first-hand. The PBC Inktober challenge was centered around the Zentangle method, which is a style of art that uses patterns called “tangles” to cultivate a meditative and mindful state. At the introductory session, I received the list of daily tangles and the necessary supplies, and it felt like Christmas for my inner creative self.
As I completed my 31 unique tangles over the course of the month, I honed my fine motor skills and found peace in the creative process. My brain was able to take a break from studying and get lost in the relaxation of drawing the lines, swirls, and twirls of each Zentangle pattern. One of the “rules” of the PBC Inktober challenge was that mistakes are part of the design, and no participant was allowed extra tiles for starting fresh. There were days when I would have loved a “reset” button, and this rule pushed my boundaries to find innovative ways to blend with the evolving design in order to finish the tile. Other days the designs flowed easily, and I was effortlessly able to create a tile that I loved.
On October 31st, all of the PBC Zentanglers reconvened for a final session to reveal our completed collections. I am in awe of the artistic talent of those who participated in the challenge and of the vast diversity of designs we all created from the same starting prompts. Each person incorporated their own flair to create unique and beautiful designs.
One of the best outcomes of the Inktober challenge for me was that I was reminded that I am still creative and capable of making art. This challenge was an excellent opportunity to reconnect with my artistic self, which had been set aside amidst my busy school schedule. I now have 31 fun tiles that I plan to use to make greeting cards so I can share with others the happiness I felt in creating these designs.
Here are a few of my favorite creations:
For more information about Inktober or the Zentangle method, check out these resources:
https://inktober.com
https://zentangle.com
Aly Tukan is student in the Class of 2022 at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. She completed her undergraduate education at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas with a double major in Neuroscience and Spanish. At UA COM-P, Alyson serves as the Medical Student Government secretary and is a member of the Student Ambassadors and the Certificate of Distinction in Service and Community Health. She is passionate about volunteering, martial arts, yoga, running, hiking, and knitting.