Press Kit

Thanks for checking out Lines of Zen. I'm Denis Hennessy and I made this app together with Kyle Webster. This app started as an idea in 2020, partly to give us something useful to focus on during lockdown, and partly because Kyle had been looking for a way to make meditative drawing available to more people and had an idea to make it work as an app.

If you've any questions or need a promo code, please contact me.

Product Overview

Lines of Zen is a free app that introduces a new form of meditation known as meditative drawing. It's primarily aimed at people that have tried traditional spoken meditation and found it too difficult, too time consuming, or perhaps just not the right fit.

A set of 6 exercises are included for free with the app. The remaining content can be unlocked with a subscription or a one-time payment. Additional content is added each month.

The key difference with meditative drawing is you're led through a series of drawing exercises that are designed to occupy your mind with the simple practice of drawing, which in turn frees it to achieve a true sense of calm.

The app works by providing a series of video exercises which lead you through a selection of practices. An exercise is typically 5 minutes or less, and is best carried out with a physical pen and paper.

People do not need to have artistic ability or special talent to participate in meditative drawing exercises, and people of all ages can benefit from it.

Benefits of Meditative Drawing

Study: Individuals with chronic medical conditions that negatively impact quality-of-life (QOL) were given the opportunity to engage in mindfulness-based art activities as part of treatment. Results: 14 adolescents and adults met inclusion criteria. Participants who received Mindfulness-based Art Therapy (MBAT) interventions reported significant improvements in psychological and physical symptoms.
Research shows that, According to Rappaport [Mindfulness, psychotherapy, and the arts therapies], combining expressive arts with mindfulness is expected to allow engagement in the present; thus, attention regulation, body awareness, and emotional regulation can be achieved compared to mindfulness alone.

Science Direct
Article: Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
Volume 41, Nov. 2020

“MBAT has slowly gained recognition as a tool for improvement in the field of psychology, though research-based evidence is still lacking, particularly with respect to studies with both treatment and control groups (to confirm that MBAT is better than a placebo treatment). Another name for mindfulness-based art therapy is "focusing-oriented art therapy," reflecting the emphasis on shifting focus as part of the experience."

The Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy
Arlin Cuncic, Medically reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
Verywellmind.com / July 16, 2021

According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, less than an hour of creative activity can reduce your stress and have a positive effect on your mental health, regardless of artistic experience or talent.
Meditation and art both cultivate a ‘flow state’ that allows one to stay absorbed in a focused task, blocking out distracting thoughts and negative energy. This is beneficial for mental and physical health, especially when practiced regularly and in a ritualistic way (same time, same place, if possible).

Video: Meditation and Art Therapy Wellness Benefits, Singapore Art Museum
Video source: https://youtu.be/0ros65Wg9E4?t=222