I cannot remember a time when I didn’t draw something and to this day, I still can’t distinguish my professional creations from doodles because they are one and the same. I never had formal training and I missed that chance to study Fine Arts at the state university because I forgot to take my exam. That’s another story right there!
The definition of a “doodle” I came across is “to draw aimlessly when preoccupied”. I did this a lot as a student because I had (and still have) a hard time focusing. It caused problems for me, of course, because I was labelled as distracted and spaced-out. This meant getting sent to the guidance counsellor.
1. Doodling kept me alert while I listened in class, though. That’s what helped me make sense of all the thoughts streaming in. It’s a bit of a detour and alternate route to learning, but it worked for me probably because the intuitive act of drawing is a good way to repel tension. This creative ritual puts my entire being at ease, which allows me to think.
2. I doodle not because there is nothing going on in my head but exactly because there is too much going on in there. And doodling is what harmoniously strings all the buzzing together into perfect harmony.
3. It’s possible people dismiss doodling as just some jumbled up, inane scribblings and something for the hands to do to while your time away. But I know that there are people out there that need a release and this kind of space in their heads to clear the brain of clutter so ideas can filter in gracefully. I believe the freedom in doodling creates a limitless sphere of nothingness in our heads where concepts, thoughts, shapes, words and colour thrive — if only we let them .
4. Most of my paintings, and illustrations are harvested from this crude process. Of course this method cannot work for all tasks, especially those that are time-sensitive, those which require minute detail and precision.
5. But doodling, I believe, is a skill we are all capable of. We joyously did this long before we even learned to write our name. But someone must have told us early on to stop making a mess, to stop wasting time, to only colour within the lines, or to draw a tree “this way”.
So how does one learn how to doodle? We just have to pause, relish the brief silence and simply remember.
Enjoyed this. I like to doodle tiny pictures on letters to people — it’s fun!
Two things to love about this comment: doodling AND writing letters! <3
Fantastic article that resonated with my own way of thinking. Thank you for sharing.
Hello there, Tehmina! So glad to know I am not alone in my thoughts 🙂