My journey with Zen Drawing

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by drawing and painting. As a child, I wanted to capture everything I saw and loved on paper. That fascination stayed with me — even while I studied psychology and worked in healthcare. But I kept wondering: how can creativity and inner experience come together?

That question found its answer when I read 'Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing: Meditation in Action' by Frederick Franck. His way of observing, drawing and simply being present resonated deeply. I knew instantly that I wanted to do something with this approach. I felt a strong urge to create a book that would make Zen drawing accessible to a new generation, combining Franck’s spirit with my own background in psychology.

Het Zen tekenboek

In 2012, my first book, 'Het Zen tekenboek, tekenen als meditatietechniek' (translated: The Zen drawing book, drawing as a meditation technique) was published in the Netherlands by Dutch publisher Asoka, and later reprinted by Edicola in 2018.

I had never written a book before — but it felt like this one wrote itself. The content came naturally, and almost magically, a publisher appeared just as I was about to self-publish. It felt as if the book had its own momentum — like it wanted to be shared with the world.

At first, the book was discovered by readers already familiar with Zen Buddhism or Franck’s work. But over time, it resonated with a much broader audience — especially with women (and some men) who were seeking inner peace through creativity, but who -like me- didn’t feel at home in the more rigid, masculine side of Zen practice in the West. This book offered them an alternative: a meditative way of drawing rooted in presence, sensitivity and self-discovery.

The Zen Drawing Pack

In 2014, my second book 'The Zen Drawing Pack' was published in English — a completely new, international version of my first book. The way it came about was almost as miraculous as my first book: I was sitting in a café with my partner Willem — then co-author and colleague — talking about how wonderful it would be to have an English edition of 'Het Zen Tekenboek'.

Two days later, I received an email from a publisher Rock Point Publishers in New York, who came across my Zen drawings online, asking me to collaborate on a book about my drawing technique. Within just a few months, it resulted in a gift set containing a book titled 'The Miracle of Zen Drawing', along with a journal and two pencils. The title reflected exactly how it felt — a creative process guided by trust, intuition, miracles and synchronicity.

The pack found an audience beyond those interested in Zen philosophy. I discovered that many readers were drawn to the artistic and intuitive side of Zen drawing. This led to two digital spin-offs: 'Zen Drawing – A new way to become mindful' (2014) and 'Zen Drawing – A new way to become an artist' (2014)

From Zen Drawing to watercoloring

Over time, my drawings evolved and I also started to add watercolor to these drawings. My style became lighter, more colorful and intuitive. What began as Zen drawing has now grown into what I call 'Drawing and Watercoloring with Michelle' on my website: a personal way of drawing and painting that focusses on connection to nature, openess, freedom and presence. The essence of Zen drawing remains, but the shape fits who I am today.

Watercolor in simpele stappen

In 2021 my third book, 'Watercolor in simpele stappen' (translated: Watercolor in Simple Steps) was published. This book emerged in a way very similar to my earlier books. I had been thinking about creating something around watercolor, but had no idea where to begin. Then, out of nowhere, I was invited through a Dutch publisher called Luitingh-Sijthoff, to write a book about my watercolor technique to mark the 100th anniversary of creative company Sakura Japan. You can read more about the book in this blog post.

Full circle

The Japanese focus of the watercolor book brought my journey full circle — from Frederick Franck’s approach to drawing, rooted in Japanese Zen Buddhism, to my own minimalist watercolor style. Once again, everything came together through intuition, timing, and miraculous coincidences.

Over time, this watercolor style became the foundation for much more than just my books. It has grown into my own visual language which is now the basis of my entire body of work — from fine art prints to everyday products like mugs, clothing and greeting cards. What started as simple drawing exercises to quiet my chattering mind now also brings a sense of calm and connection into people’s homes and lives. In that way, my personal journey has become part of both my art and the work I share with others.