The Power of Doodling

Those of us who like to doodle to pass the time often downplay this good habit, probably because we were chastised as kids for "not paying attention."

Research suggests that doodling actually helps to lock memories in place.  Whatever you were listening to while you created that little artwork stays with you better than if you hadn't been drawing. Here's a Harvard Health article about research into the benefits of doodling.

But that's not the power of doodles that I'm talking about today.  

When you follow that sparkly idea to create something you're curious about, you build your drawing skills, but you also develop creative ideas that can grow.

Here's a sketch I made of a friend's crow photo. You can find the photo on my blog here.

That sketch became a drawing, which I transferred to a rubber block. I carved it to create a stamp.

I've enjoyed making stationary by stamping vintage office papers with this stamp.

I photocopied one of these pieces of stationary, enlarging it to 200% so I could transfer it to a recent painting.  The little sketch of my friend's crow photo became the focal point of a larger painting.

I reversed the image by making a transparency of it and copying the flipped transparency.  When you transfer an image this way, you "print" a reversed image.

Now I've ordered greeting cards from that large painting, and I can't wait to receive them in the mail. That's the power of doodling.  It's a way to experiment and play, and a pathway to larger artworks.

Please doodle! 

Experiment with designs and ideas. 

Play with little sketches.  

Allow them to grow & roam to become larger ideas.  

That's how creativity works!

Copyright Betsy Bangley 2024.  All rights reserved.

Art at the Beach, Part 2

The beauty of a travel journal is that you can quickly capture the scenes and mood of a place to lock it into your memory.

On our recent Florida beach trip, the gorgeous turquoise and cobalt blue of the Atlantic Ocean caught my eye and inspired this quick watercolor sketch of a fishing boat motoring down the beach.

A friendly beach-goer wearing an Army sunhat sat for me to sketch him in my journal.

A first sketch - like this one of the dune - may not look "pretty" or perfect.  It's helping you to see the scene before you and figure out how to draw it.

Here's the second attempt.

And below is a study of the Sea Oats at the front of the beach dune.

As easy as it is to snap a cell phone picture, research shows that making a sketch instead will help you recall more details about your experience -- the people, the colors, the conversations, your feelings, etc. 

Each of these sketches were made at the beach, in the moment, and each one carries with it memories of those moments. 

All you need to lock in memories like this is a small journal -- mine is 6" x 8" -- and a drawing implement -- a pencil, a marker or even a ballpoint pen. Keep these items handy for a quiet visit to a coffee shop, while you're talking on the phone, or to take with you on a short "art date" by yourself. 

Happy Sketching & Memory Making!