Mooka, and then some...

  "Mooka" was amongst the first few patterns that I got to know after I learnt about the Zentangle method. However, I was never fond of it because of how it didn't close up. I felt confused about how to shade it, and I didn't quite know what patterns to put behind it. (Did it even have a "behind"..?) Thus, it became a tangle that I never got around to using it.

  Fast forward to about a month or so ago... One of my students mentioned that they really liked how Mooka looked and asked whether I would teach the pattern in class. I voiced my concerns about the pattern to them, but added that I would figure out a way to make the pattern work for me- for us. I'm not one to give up easily. And after some fumbling about, I found a way to make Mooka easier to work with. For once, I actually liked Mooka. It then took on a life of its own and expanded to more ways than one.

  So, here's my step-outs to my tangleation of Mooka:

The last box with the star symbol just shows you how I draw each part of the Mooka.
I might post a video of me drawing Mooka as that might be easier to understand.

  There are so many more things you can do with this version of Mooka! Here are some ideas to get you started:

I especially like it as a border.

Here's a Zengem with Eddyper and Mooka at the bottom as a flourish.
I have Zengem tutorials on my YouTube channel. (Click here if you'd like to see them.)

  What I hope you take from this post is to look at old patterns with fresh eyes every now and then. To attempt tangles you previously didn't enjoy, just to see whether you'd have a change of heart. To think of new ways to draw a tangle so that you would enjoy using it. I hope I inspired you and that you learnt something from me today. I'd love to see what you come up with using my tangleations of Mooka. Have fun and keep tangling~