What better way to enter ‘the zone’ and pass the hours than to tangle while flying across the country? I was happy to not be playing computer games for a change on that flight back to Portland, OR. I was nearly finished creating a Zentangle tile and planned to create more tiles when my Sakura Pigma Micron 01 spewed its awesome ink onto two fingers on my left hand. I should have quit tangling after the pen oozed its luscious black ink out the tip, but no, I couldn’t stop. I wrapped the pen in newspaper supplied by the steward and slipped the malfunctioning pen into its cap and placed it into my handbag, I pulled out another Sakura Micron 01 pen.
Everything was going fine as I was finishing up the tile, then spurt! The second pen did more than slowly ooze its ink. It leaked fast and made quite a mess. The business-suited gentleman next to me reached into his briefcase and pulled out some paper napkins. I cleaned up the best I could at 35,000 feet. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Sakura Micron 01 pens, I buy them by the baker’s dozen from ScrapbookPal.com and take advantage of the free shipping for orders over $25. On future flights, I will store my pens in plastic baggies in my suitcase and practice my tangles in my sketchbook using my matte black Fisher Space Pen – I’ve used it on several flights without any problem! This was my experience, your mileage may vary.
Update June 28th, 2014: I could not resist tangling again on a cross country flight from Providence, RI to Portland, OR. This time, I stored my pens in a plastic baggie and brought my own napkins. I would like you to know I had no problem what-so-ever with leaking pens this time! The woman sitting next to me said she would pay me $50 cash on the spot for my custom tangled tile/pencil storage bag that I tangled at the CZT Seminar. BTW, Molly Hollibaugh did a great job teaching that fabric tangling class! I should have taken my traveling companion up on the $50 offer! This is but one example of many ways to make money with Zentangle. I have been stopped by staff when teaching tangling in a hotel lobby and was asked if my work was for sale. At that time I was too reserved and unsure of myself to say yes, I will sell you a tile of your choosing.