Oi! News: Doodling
“Do you have hands? Excellent. That’s a good start. Can you hold a pencil? Great. If you have a sketchbook, open it and start by making a line, a mark, wherever. Doodle.”
What is doodling?
Doodling is the act of repeatedly drawing familiar designs on a page in an unfocused manner.
While doodling is often discouraged at school for being a distraction during lessons, the act of doodling is actually very beneficial:
1.Better focus
Usually when someone doodles you assume they’re not concentrating on what they’re doing. But doodling acts like a form of mindfulness and allows us to focus on the present.
2. Improved short term memory
Especially for people who have visual memories. Trying to remember some text written on a page? Then you remember you drew that funny abstract swirl next to that paragraph of text, and suddenly you might remember it… try it next time!
3. Reduced stress levels
The act of repeating shapes and patterns on a page is therapeutic for lots of us, and can help ease tension.
4. Self-expression
Many people struggle to express themselves through words or text. So they turn to visual methods, like doodling, to express their emotions. A 2011 research experiment led by Dr. Lisa Cowan found that participants who used doodling as a method to express themselves communicated more personally and intimately than they would’ve by written text.
Of course, doodling doesn’t work for every task. Sometimes you are just procrastinating. Say you have a visual task to complete and you’re doodling at the same time…you might get a bit clogged up there.
Rob Draper -
"Doodling is everything. A visual diary of everything going on inside my head. The genesis of an idea, a concept shaped, developed or binned, they all start their life in the humble doodle. Sometimes the most important projects I have worked on have started their life as a phone doodle on a scrap of paper..."
Paul ‘Nobby’ Davies -
“We had a go at this in artHAUS 001.
It’s Olafurs doodle.
I do this a lot to warm-up before starting ant type of creative activity.
It of course has an element of Hyper-Observing to it, as you need to look carefully for patterns and shapes that cane be turned into something new.
I’m calling my doodle
The Under the Sea See.”
By the way it’s National Doodle Day on September 17th. There’s probably a National Day for everything now, but we liked the sound of this one. National Doodle Day was started by Epilepsy Action 17 years ago in order to raise awareness for epilepsy research and support. Each year participants join the fun by creating a doodle, giving a donation. The doodles are then judged by a team and prizes are awarded. They will be hosting a charity auction of doodles created by famous faces, with all the proceeds going towards their work. So do go and check that out.
Interested in this topic?
Take a look at this informative article, or this great piece on doodling and the benefits of unlocking your unconscious creativity.