Stranger Social: What’s Your Artistic Angle, Using Zentangle?

Join us on Saturday 11th July, at 1pm-3pm in the Elizabeth Yates Room, Ellen Melville Centre (2 Freyberg Place, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1000), Together, let's get creative, explore Zentangle Art and cultivate connection.

At this month's Stranger Social: What’s Your Artistic Angle, Using Zentangle? Let’s gather together again, to create Zentangle art. We'll start by doing a few warm up activities together. Then, we'll each create our own Zentangle artworks, exploring pattern development and creative expansion. A Zentangle is a form of abstract art, utilising structured and spontaneous patterns, drawn with different kinds of pens and paper. These artworks can, for example, be composed of lines, dots and basic curves. The main intention is to let your mind explore relaxed drawing, with a 'live-in-the-moment' response and a willingness to embrace how this creative process unfolds. Each mark-making stroke has a unique value within the Zentangle artwork's overall composition - even if/when it happens by 'accident!' :-)

Yes, within Zentangle artworks, there are no accidents: Instead, you're invited to explore how to convert these mark-makings into an artwork that's intriguing, unique, but also cohesive. This is all while raising your awareness of the lightheartedly random, creative journey. If desired, you can even have multiple artworks too! As the saying goes, "As in small, so in large" - each Zentangle artwork can dovetail into a larger mosaic/constellation stylised artwork, by being placed alongside one another. Moreover, since we’re gathering the day after Matariki, Māori New Year, this artistic event can (if desired) also serve as an opportunity to reflect on and re-cultivate intentions :-)

No art experience needed :-) You'll leave with something you made. And, a new way of seeing how even the simplest things in life can enhance new-found creative awareness and meaning-making.

Please feel welcome to show up solo. Stranger Socials are designed to assist you in feeling welcomed, introduced and included into our community, from the start. They're also a chance to meet people you wouldn't normally run into.

What is the Launch Community?

We're an experiment in an ‘unlikely community’. Most groups form around shared interests. We're more interested in what happens when you practice connection with people you don't already know. We think isolation wears us down. And, connection across different experiences makes us stronger.

Our gatherings are welcoming, joyful, and grounded in real human connection. You don't need to be "launching" anything specific. This is about creating space for whatever you want to pursue through community.

How the day will work:

• We'll start with a brief welcome and a few warm up activities. We'll sharpen our senses together, with some brief sharing
• Then, we'll make our own artworks. Here's how: You create an artwork, based on your own curiosity, creative exploration and intentions, as well as suggestions/guidance from the Event Facilitator. This also includes some intriguing artistic techniques that will be revealed on the day. We'll navigate this process together and we’ll have materials ready, for you to jump into this creative process
• We'll wrap up by sharing together what we made, as well as contemplating any garnered key insights :-)

Who comes to Launch Community events?

We have all sorts of people in the Launch Community. Many of us are working on projects or goals and looking for community. Some are new to Auckland. Generally, we're people getting out of our comfort zones a bit and looking for our way into community. What we have in common is wanting real connection with different people we can share with and learn from. Please check out our Instagram, to get a feel for what we're all about (@the_launch_hub).

Logistics:

When: Saturday 11th July at 1pm-3pm
Where: Ellen Melville Centre (Elizabeth Yates Room, upstairs), 2 Freyberg Place, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1000
What to bring: Just yourself (materials provided). Koha/donation appreciated (if possible)

Please note: RSVPs are required to ensure your place. This event is free for attendees, but we do have to source enough materials for everyone, so we have a limit. Please confirm your RSVP by 11:59pm on Friday 10th July. This event may fill up before then.

Please also note: By attending any Launch Community event, you're agreeing to uphold our Launch Community Guidelines. You can read them here.