Honors Projects

Rachel ImmelFollow

Abstract

The world is starting to see the rise of a stress related epidemic. Finding time to balance the struggles of everyday life, like academics, finances, careers and relationships, while also maintaining personal mental health is becoming increasingly difficult. This is what prompted me to use my project as an opportunity to help people relieve stress and create a community through the use of art, especially during a time where social interaction has been severely limited due to COVID-19.

My project is a series of live-streamed Zentangle art classes I hosted personally that were open to the public through Zoom. Zentangle is a meditative art form that promotes focus, relaxation, and creativity through the creation of intricate patterns. It is designed for all levels of artistic experience, ages, and backgrounds. There were four classes total, one for each Saturday of the month. The class format not only provided a designated period of time to be creative and relax each week, but to also teach a skill that participants can use in the future to relieve stress and connect with a broader community. The heart of the Zentangle methodology is the “worldwide mosaic” it creates. Each individual has something uniquely creative to offer to the world, but when put together, something larger and even more beautiful is made.

Major

Art – BFA in Digital Arts

First Advisor

Bonnie Mitchell

First Advisor Department

School of Art

Second Advisor

Dryw Dworsky

Second Advisor Department

Psychology

Third Advisor

Katrina Heilmeier

Third Advisor Department

Honors Program

Publication Date

Spring 5-11-2020

Additional Files
Honors Project - Zentangles for Mental Health Awareness Final.pdf (7422 kB)
This PDF is my final defense outline that I presented to my advisors. It also has visuals of the ads I created to invite people to the class and the tiles that the participants had made after each session.
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