Impact

A BEAUTIFUL DOODLE STATE OF MIND

By Mary Beth Shaw. “Floral Doodle Do.” Courtesy of The Sketchbook Challenge.

Doodles aren’t just mindless silly dalliances. In fact, they are very mindful. Today, we are exploring the new ideas about how doodles can impact your thinking as well as your accomplishments.

THE DOODLE REVOLUTION

Have you ever been caught doodling when you were supposed to be paying attention? Yes? Good for you!

Turns out you were probably out-thinking everyone else around you. That is counter to that often mistaken phenomenon called conventional wisdom.

Whether in schools or in offices, most people consider doodling to be a mindless distraction and a waste of time. They’ve been associated with lapses in concentration, disinterest, and even a lack of ambition. That couldn’t be more wrong. Doodling is deep thinking in disguise.

Sunni Brown, author of "The Doodle Revolution: Unlock the Power to Think Differently," would like you to know that not only are doodles not bad for you - they could hold the secret to higher thinking.

Brown explains that we don’t lose focus when doodling, but rather doodling stops us from losing focus. And, it has a profound effect on creative problem-solving and deep information processing.

People who doodle when they're exposed to verbal information retain more of that information than their non-doodling counterparts.

In her fascinating TED talk, Brown argues, “The incredible contribution of the doodle is that it engages all four learning modalities simultaneously with the possibility of an emotional experience. That is a pretty solid contribution for a behavior equated with doing nothing.”

From the basic Doodle to the “Infodoodle”—the tight integration of words, numbers, images, and shapes -- doodling promotes higher-level thinking.

These new findings offer great promise for everyone who thinks! Think about it, as Brown suggests, doodling can be leveraged as a portal through which people can move into higher levels of visual literacy.

Brown points out that doodling has led to many breakthroughs in science, technology, medicine, and architecture. It has also helped to produce great literature and art. She presents the doodles of Henry Ford, JFK, and Albert Einstein as proof that doodles are the products of superior minds. Check out Al Gore’s doodle as he thought about Global Warming.

Brown teaches higher thinking through doodling. You can find out more on her site where she shows how doodling can facilitate the explanation and mapping out of complex phenomena or ideas.

Brown has become something of an evangelist for art of doodling. The book acts as a declaration of her “revolution,” with Brown proclaiming, “Under no circumstances should doodling be eradicated from a classroom or a boardroom or even the war room.”

ZEN DOODLE MANDALA (MASTERCLASS)

Despite the diversionary stigma that surrounds it, studies and research have shown that doodling can enhance thinking, information retention, and creativity. Add Zen to this mix, and you’ve got quite a potent discipline on your hands!

If you’re a doodle enthusiast who would like to fully realize the artform’s meditative potential, Carolyn Scrace’s "Zen Doodle Mandala (Masterclass)" offers an invaluable source of technique and practice.

With inspiring illustrations of gorgeous mandalas (geometric Hindu / Buddhist symbols), and easy to follow guides, Scrace’s manual is a powerful tool for improving ideas and skill. Whether you’re a beginner with little artistic acumen or a doodling aficionado, your creativity and doodling dexterity are sure to benefit.

Salariya Book Company Ltd (2014)

Read more about Beautiful Doodles, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including Cool Collaborative Doodling Now, The Nature, Art & Science of Doodles, Beautiful Food Doodles, Truly Amazing Doodle Art Now, Beautiful Doodle-Filled Places and The Amazing Beauty of Beautiful Doodles.

And enter our Beautiful Doodles competition. Open for entries until midnight PT tonight (05.18.14). If you are reading this after this date, enter our current competiton here.

Photo Credits:

Image: By Mary Beth Shaw. “Floral Doodle Do.” Courtesy of The Sketchbook Challenge.
Image: by The Value Web. WEF Africa Summit: Capte Town, 2009.
Image: by Portfolio Hardcover. The Doodle Revolution.
Image: by Joel Cooper. Explore the Vibe.
Image: by Kathryn Maxfield. Schools Kill Creativity.
Image: by Jill-Spill. Inside Out.
Image: by Brandy Agerbeck. Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.
Doodle: by Dave Grey. “What Ignites Your Creative Energy.”
Image: by Paolo Feroleto. Directions.
Image: Courtesy of Salariya Book Company. Zen Doodle Mandala Masterclass.
Image: Courtesy of Salariya Book Company. Zen Doodle Mandala Masterclass.