A Interactive and Tangled Commonplace Book

Daily Zen Doodles

Daily Zen Doodles: 365 Tangle Creations for Inspiration, Relaxation, and Mindfulness by Meera Lee Patel

This is a commonplace book with a twist. Or maybe it’s a sketch book with quotations. Or it could be a individualized puzzle for you to complete every single day for a year.

Whatever it is, it is pretty cool!

Here is an example of what you will find in this book.

Zen Original

I love the quotation here . . .

“We are like children building a sand castle. We’re willing to attack if others threaten to hurt it. Yet…we know that the tide will inevitable come in and sweep the sand castle away. The trick is to enjoy it fully without clinging, and when the time comes, let it dissolve back into the sea.”

– Pema Chodron

But this book is not merely a commonplace book. It is meant to “isnpire you to lose yourself in the contemplative act of drawing. Each page is an invitation to sketch, relax, focus, and reach toward inner peace.”

Here is my first attempt at it . . .

Zen Chase March

That was kind of fun. I bet you can tell a lot about me from that simple sketch as well. I let my mind wander as I thought about the quotation.

There are a few other pages I am eager to complete. It is a nice kind of meditation to do this exercise. I have never been much of a doodler. I often write poetry when my mind wanders and I have a pencil and paper in my hand. In fact, it could be cool to write words inside of the shapes and images that are provided as a starting point. Hmm, maybe I will try that tomorrow.

My 2014 Reading Log – with links to every title (over 70 books so far)


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