I called a business today and was put on hold. Nothing new there.
But then I did something I haven’t done in ages…while waiting I started to doodle. And that was actually quite amazing; I don’t know what prompted me to do it, but it felt like an important (re)discovery.
I used to doodle a lot when I was young; both in-the-margin type doodles and drawings that involved lots of repetitive detail work. But somewhere along the way I seem to have stopped. I wonder why…
After I had finished the phone call I continued doodling for a while, just because. It felt rather odd, like I was “rusty” at it, but it also felt…good. That made me curious to know more about it.
Turns out doodling is a trendy thing nowadays (unlike when I was a kid and you just did it!), mainly because science has proven its benefits. I found a ton of interesting articles about it (see links at the bottom of the page).
But here’s what I found truly hilarious: there were also lots of articles and videos and products on “How to Doodle” — I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that like taking lessons in how to be spontaneous?
Oh well, the important thing is that I think it would be a good idea to start doodling regularly again. Fun!
The Power of the Doodle: Improve Your Focus and Memory (Wall Street Journal)
The Cognitive Benefits of Doodling (The Atlantic)
5 Big Benefits Of Being A Doodler (HuffPost)
The Benefits of Doodling (Vox)
The Power and Purpose of Doodling (The Art of Education University)
I have always been a doodler too. Until this blog though I never knew it had verifiable cognitive benefits! It brought to mind an unpleasant memory from third grade when a teacher publicly shamed me for doodling because she thought I wasn’t listening to her. Now I know the “lesson” she was trying to teach me was not only inappropriate, it was counter productive in more ways than one!
My school notebooks were covered with doodles. I remember listening calmly in class while creating a pleasing design or decorating the holes punched in the pages. I never felt guilty or ashamed because it just seemed part of the learning process for me. So nice to know that what came naturally was perfectly normal, and even healthy! Thank you for this.