Doodles & Creativity

How many times during a meeting, seminar or lecture have you found yourself doodling in the margin of your note sheet, despite being absolutely focused and interested?

Well, don't worry: you are not alone. Doodling may look like simple lines and messy shapes, but it hides surprising creative potential.

Days ago, after a lesson where we talked about creativity, during which I showed the "Creation of Adam" redone to the tune of Rubik's cubes, a student comes to me and tells me that during the lesson she found herself doodling on her note sheet and this showed up:

I am stunned by the "scribble" and, between the serious and the facetious, I say to Miss Nandini Setia (I mention her because in addition to being an excellent student, her sketch above is really outstanding and Nandini, thank you for allowing me to use it here!). : "Really beautiful, but then you weren't following the lesson...." "On the contrary," she tells me, "doodling really helps me stay focused."

The Art of Doodling

Doodling offers several cognitive and emotional benefits that promote concentration and participation during activities that require prolonged attention.

According to some studies, these drawings can engage both hemispheres of the brain, which promotes greater cognitive engagement and helps maintain an optimal state of mental alertness for learning and active participation.

In addition, doodling can reduce stress and anxiety, providing an outlet for excess nervous energy and helping to maintain emotional balance during stressful situations.

Doodling & Creativity

Doodles then, are not just random drawings, but reflect the activity of our brains as they are allowed to wander during monotonous and non-monotonous activities. While one part engages in logical and rational activities, such as following a meeting or class, the other is free to explore more creative and intuitive connections, in a kind of controlled distraction. ("Watch out, I'm not talking about hemispheres here. The rigid division between "right vs. left hemisphere" division is an obsolete and somewhat inaccurate theory!)

Numerous studies have explored the link between doodling and creativity. Yes because, letting your mind free during repetitive or boring tasks can lead to increased activity in the area of the brain associated with creative problem solving.

In fact, it is nothing more than that wonderful period of "Incubation," that Mind- Wandering in search of an order that will produce new meaning, so as to achieve the coveted "Illumination" to quote a couple of Graham Wallas' creative process terms in his book "The Art of Thought".

And by the way, someone from doodles even created a real art form...do you remember this guy?

SO HERE ARE 6 PRACTICAL TIPS ON THE FLY TO MAKE THE MOST OF OUR DOODLES:

1) EMBRACE THE CHAOS

Let your doodles flow freely, without judgment or self-censorship. This allows your brain to explore new connections and ideas.

"Be curious, not judgemental!" - Walt Whitman

2) OBSERVE WITH NEW EYES

After the meeting or class, take some time to examine your doodles with a fresh look. If you want to set them aside for a while...Then look at them again. Time will have allowed you to reevaluate them (remember Wallace's "Incubation"?), to make new connections, new shapes or patterns that inspire new ideas.

As the legendary Comedian John Cleese of Monty Python tells in one of his true-life stories - A story about your unconscious saving your ass; or letting your ideas bake - taking a break and giving even our unconscious more time to restructure thoughts can really make the difference between a mediocre or unfinished idea and a brilliant one.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." Marcel Proust

3) BREAK DOWN THE VARIATIONS

Change the way you scribble. Try using different colors, or draw with your non-dominant hand. Variation can stimulate creativity.

"You will never change your life until you change something you do every day." - Mike Murdok

4) LET'S SHARE

"What do you see that I am missing?" Don't be afraid to share your doodles with others. There may be someone who sees something you didn't notice, and together you may develop new ideas. So many original ideas were there, already visible, you just needed to notice them.... In this case, the saying "4 eyes are better than 2" is exquisitely true.

"Creative collaboration is Awesome." - Alicia Silverstone

5) TRANSFORM YOUR DOODLES INTO ACTION

Once you have identified promising ideas in your doodles, turn them into concrete action. NO EXCUSES! Don't wait for your perfect setup, start right away as soon as something lights up in your head, harness the power of that moment.Put those ideas into practice and watch how they evolve.

"Let go of the mind and the body will follow."- L.A. Story, 1991

6) FINALLY DRAW

Yes, draw, even if you suck at drawing! It matters little here and above all, we don't have to care about anyone's judgment. Draw because you need images to produce ideas.

A key element of creativity even outside of the visual arts lies precisely in the ability to visualize and process complex ideas and thinking by images is called Visual Thinking not for nothing.

And the benefits of thinking in images are really many. They help to have a greater overview, they help to deal with complexity, but also to remember and communicate better.

So welcome the doodles!