Lets have a quick test to see if you are a potential reader for this article. If you can relate to any of the following, this article is for you. You love drawing monsters and creatures from the underworld. No! grotesque beasts don’t scare you at all. What you really find disturbing are EMPTY WHITE SPACES!! If you should ever come across an empty white space, you are over come by an uncontrollable urge to make a mark on it, using a pen, a pencil, or if nothing else is available, your own blood. Your notebook doubles as a sketch book (especially the last few pages). You never know what to do with your hands when having a picture taken.
Does any of it sound familiar? Congratulations, you are a chronic doodler. But that is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, throughout history, man has been an avid doodler. Starting with those squiggly mammoths on cave walls to those pretty little flowers we end up drawing on our shopping lists. Even historical leaders like John F. Kennedy were known to doodle during official meetings. So how does one define a ‘doodle’ and what does it signify?
Essentially, a doodle is ‘a figure, design, or scribble drawn or written absent-mindedly.’ Also, to doodle is to ‘scribble aimlessly, especially when preoccupied.’ That is what the dictionary says. Interestingly enough, ‘absent-mindedness’ is key here. According to some psychologists a doodle reflects the inner workings of our brains, or our sub-conscious. Certain shapes or figures drawn in distraction actually carry hidden meanings. For example, geometric shapes represent an organized brain, good planning skills etc. Abstract shapes symbolize tension, difficulty in concentration, and so on and so forth. I don’t know about you but that just sucks the fun out of it for me. However, it does ring true.
Doodling is a way of channeling your frustration without being aware of it. How many times have we doodled our way through excruciating meetings or phone calls? It’s hard to tell. However, for a designer or creative person, it goes a step further. It is a way to warm up your brain. Often times, while starting off a project, I am intimidated by the blank page. It isn’t until it is nice and friendly with the help of a few doodles that I can actually relax and be creative. We are rarely as free or uninhibited in visual expression as when we are pointlessly doodling. It is a form of visual free association, and often times you end up with something so brilliant on the page that it forms the basis of an entire series of work. Doodling truly is an ignored art form.
Like anything else, the more you work on your doodles, the better they get. As your visual vocabulary expands, chances are, your doodles will start getting more varied and detailed. For all those who can draw well, this is the part where you get to feel superior. The average person often restricts his doodles to familiar shapes and forms (flowers, stars, circles, etc.). This could be attributed to the fact that as a society, we feel not everyone can be an artist. Perhaps subconsciously, that inhibits people from exploring any further. As kids things are simpler. We draw anything and everything because it is fun. As teenagers, we become more conscious of our actions. If we are not extraordinarily skilled in drawing, we will start looking for other things we might be good at. A subconscious hang-up to a subconscious free-flowing process, how ironic.
But that is the beauty of a doodle. It doesn’t have to be perfect. For some of you, a doodle will be the most honest piece of art you ever produce, for some it will just be a starting point to something great. Where you chose to go from there is entirely up to you.
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