focus your mind with the XYZen garden by jonathan odom

focus your mind with the XYZen garden by jonathan odom
all images courtesy of jonathan odom

breathe in, breathe out. repeat. the zen philosophy urges followers to sit back, relax, and go about their days with a sense of mindfulness and purpose. unfortunately in modern times, finding the time and ability to disconnect from technology, busy schedules, and sensory overload is next to impossible. that’s why jonathan odom of instructables designed the ‘XYZen garden’. the device works exactly like an etch-a-sketch, allowing users to create their own miniature zen garden. it demands concentration, giving no option other than to focus on the present moment.

right-hand crank moving x-axis

XYZen is made of a wooden base, a custom pulley system, brass tubing and hardware. hand-turned cranks move a stylus along a gantry and with concentration, patience, and practice, users can draw just about anything. the piece was constructed with a combination of basic wood tools, traditional japanese tools, and a laser-cutter–for consistent and precise pulleys. for an extensive tutorial complete with shop drawings and templates, click here.

video courtesy of instructables

y-axis gantry

purple garnet sand provides contrast and luster 

a deep sea fishing line and pulley system creates movement

drawing takes concentration, just like an etch-a-sketch

designboom has received this project through its ‘DIY submissions’ feature, which welcomes readers to submit their own work for publication. see more designboom readers submissions here.