Practicing the familiar

Over time I've been working my way through my CZT resources in order to practice all the tangles, not just the ones I'm familiar with. When I find one that I just can't seem to do "right," I endeavor to practice it repeatedly, perhaps a section of it at a time, until it turns out as close to "the standard" as possible. (In Zentangle(R),  there really is no right way to draw a tangle. Sometimes, "mistakes" lead to new tangles!)

On the other hand, why should I abandon the familiar Crescent moon tangle for a more "difficult" one like Fengle? I've thought of a variety of ways to practice Crescent moon and delve into its potential tangleations (see my Zentangle terminology page):

• Larger moons
• Wavy auras
• Designs within the moons
• More space between the moons with more auras

What does this sort of practice do for me? It dips into my creative well. When I do that, I find that more options appear than I originally envisioned. And I can see how I could apply some of these options to other tangles. 

Try expanding your knowledge of your favorite tangle by drawing your own tangleations of it.