Introduction to Zentangles: An Interview with Andrea Santogrosso

When you are stressed, anxious or perhaps angry and need to calm down, what techniques do you use? There are so many out there, from yoga, meditation, exercise and mindfulness but today I will be speaking to my guest Andrea about one which you’ll love if you sit on the creative side of life. It’s a mix of art and mindfulness and it’s called ‘Zentangle’. 

The topics we cover in this episode are;

What social anxiety actually is

How the pandemic affected children with social anxiety differently

How Andrea came to find mindful art

What is Zentanglement? 

How Andrea’s website helps mental health and is backed up by science

Mindfulness and how it has grown in popularity over the years

What is the Zentangle method? What does it look like?

Don’t dismiss a tile by its final design - take it one step at a time

The benefits of Zentangle 

Andrea’s introductory course on Zentangle

How Andrea likes to unwind

—

About The Guest - Andrea Santogrosso

Andrea Santogrosso has been an educator for 12 years, teaching Visual Arts and Special Education. She is also a Certified Zentangle Teacher and founder of the Children’s art blog, Lightly Sketched. Her mission is to provide an innovative outlet for children who may be experiencing mental health issues. She is passionate about helping kids deal with their emotions in creative ways, and drawing Zentangles is an exercise that she recommends they add to their coping toolkit. She has seen the transformative nature of creativity in the lives of so many of her students and witnessed it in her own life through her eldest daughter, who has anxiety. She currently lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband, 2 loving daughters, and their dog, Marshmallow. 

Website - https://lightlysketched.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lightlysketched/

 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lightlysketched

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbb1JC5LX4sEwOkF2dXt3A

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.ca/lightlysketched/_created/

About The Host - Janine Halloran

Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills.

Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com

Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com

Interested in reading my books?

The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version

Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook

Connect with Janine on Social Media

Instagram: @copingskillsforkids

Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay