Reclaim the Doodle
How Doodling is More than a Distraction
In March, That Art Party hosted a virtual drink and doodle play date. BIPOC adults from across the country gathered to sip on their drink of choice, doodle to their hearts content, and meet new friends. That Art Party is actively helps BIPOC adults break free from perfectionism, take respite from the daily hustle, and rediscover our creativity beyond the confines of white supremacy. This play date proves that doodling can make good on that promise. Doodling is not only good for our health, but when done in community, fosters hope, joy, communal care, & connection.
My Top 8
In preparing to host the drink and doodle play date, I intuitively knew that doodling is good for us, but something encouraged me to see what data and research was out there on the topic (actively recovering from white supremacy culture). Surprisingly, I found hellllaaaaaa articles on the benefits of doodling. From Harvard to Forbes, the people are here for a good doodle stamp of approval. After flipping through countless articles, blogs, and videos, here are my top 8 reasons doodles are the sh*t:
Doodling is an equal opportunity destressor. We really only need a pen and paper to doodle. There is no right or wrong way to do it. It’s portable, noncompetitive, its nonperformative, it requires ZERO background knowledge in art - talk about accessible!Doodling is a stream of consciousness deal. As we find our hand moving across the paper (or screen if that’s for you) we slowly but surely begin to sink into our breath and out of the thinking brain. *exhales a sigh of relief*
Doodling helps regulate our moods and addictive behaviors. This one hits close to home for me for a few reasons. One, according to my loving mother, I was a moody af teenager (this may or may not be hereditary). Two, I like to practice a good ole escape mechanism called binge watching TV. Preparing for the drink and doodle play date encouraged me to chose doodling instead of watching hours of tv or when I felt the moody-moods wash over me. After a week, I noticed I would intuitively reach for a sketchpad and pen to self-soothe creatively at any point in the day.
Doodling reduces stress by decreasing cortisol. It is actually scientifically proven to change the chemistry of your body. (Shoutout to my fellow science teachers!) When we lower our cortisol we can make room for our happy hormones, or at the very least enter homeostasis. This is another reason doodling makes sense in high-stress environments like work or school.
Doodling gives our brain a break. When I taught middle school, we often did something called a brain break. The teaching period was long and we found that our young people learn best when encouraged to give their brain a rest - yes, even in school. This fun and human practice became somewhat of a ritual. As an adult, I keep my sketchpad near by and set a timer for 5 minutes to doodle. No expectations, just create freely. It is a welcome break from the screens, problem solving, and urgency of work.
Doodling improves creativity, authenticity, and self-expression. Doodling evokes our subconscious. What colors are we gravitating towards? How hard or soft are we pressing down on the paper? With what speed are we doodling? Are we drawing concrete shapes and words or abstract lines and squiggles? Doodling prompts us to notice our thoughts and voice free from judgement. What clues can we we glean from our inner world? Doodling can encourage us to listen to our intuition. That Art Party affirms that there is an entire world to gain by listening to our intuition - some would even call it our inner child.
Doodling keeps us present. Doodling is a mindful art. As with a number of other arts, once you start the brain fog and chatter of the every day stresses subside. We begin to enter our flow state. Before we know it, two hours have passed by and we are enthralled in the art we make. It is a welcome reprieve from the constant barrage of media and needs fighting for our attention.
Doodling improves memory and recall. There was actually a study done in the UK where people who doodled during a long (read: boring) voicemail recalled nearly 30% more information than their non-doodling counterparts. It also helps us recall parts of the past we may have suppressed as we tap into our subconscious state of being.
Doodling improves focus and concentration. It is a tactile way to keep us from drifting off or zoning out. I am definitely guilty of zoning out during a meeting or lecture! Doodling helps keep us focused enough to tune in without getting distracted. The more we doodle the more we claim this as an acceptable - even healthy - way of being.
I loved this play date for so many reasons: 1) we reclaimed the doodle, 2) we allowed creativity to flow, 3) we tapped back into our inner child in safe space alongside community.
Reclaiming the doodle
During our play date, it came up that we were collectively reclaiming the doodle! As BIPOC adults dedicating time to doodle together, we were healing that inner child who was reprimanded or shamed for doodling.
It was so beautiful to see folx using their satin scrunchies, their childhood doodle memories, and big round crayons to doodle across the page. There was such joy on our faces and emanating from our spirit! Person after person remarked how much they didn’t know they needed this, that this was a creative practice that would become a ritual.
It is a definitely a ritual for That Art Party! So if this sparked your interest and you want to learn more, sign up for our newsletter: That Spark! We will see ya at the next creative play date for BIPOC adults.
