Things to Doodle
Gone are those days when doodling was only for the kids. Today, be it a boring lecture or a long meeting, doodle is the way to silent entertainment. You might have been pulled up in school, for doodling on the last page of your exercise book and not paying attention to what the teacher was saying in class. Nevertheless, doodling is not a bad thing, no matter what. It actually has many benefits on your mood, on your brain, and although we draw to, mostly, pass the time, some of the things you doodle have a meaning behind. If you want to touch your artistic side, these easy and fun things to doodle will keep entertained.
Things to Doodle: What is Doodling?
Doodling originally means “to draw, sketch or scribble idly”. Generally, doodling is an activity that people take up unknowingly when not able to pay attention to something else. For instance, you are sitting in a meeting and bored. Then, you start scribbling different shapes and patterns on the paper.
Things to Doodle: Benefits
As weird as it sounds, doodling can, in fact, have a few benefits. Doodling, drawing, and engaging in artistic activities is good for our memories, our mental health and even helps improve job performance. Drawing pictures of information, for instance, helps recall twice as many as just writing words. Additionally, doodling and drawing can relieve psychological stress. That way, doodlers can recall dull information 29% more information than non-doodlers. Finally, doodling a simple circular pattern can help reduce negative moods.
Things to Doodle: Benefits on the Brain
Making art, such as doodling, stimulates the area of the brain that’s related to rewards – the same area that makes dancing, laughing, and eating chocolate enjoyable. In the same manner, producing art improves psychological resilience and increases brain activity. Engaging in drawing and artistic pursuits can delay the onset of dementia-related diseases. Lastly, students who took a course in art observation significantly improved clinical observation and professional development.
Things to Doodle: The Meaning of Your Doodles
Doodles are considered, by many, to be a window into your inner thoughts. Authors Emma Steiger and Nancy Nelson, as well as neurologists like Sigmund Freud and Karl Jung, have searched for meanings behind doodles.
Names
Large Letters – larger than life personality, others prefer his company.
Small Letters – low self-esteem.
Line under Your Signature – a feeling of high self-importance.
Someone Else’s Name repeatedly – obsessive personality.
Circle around Name – defensive attitude.
Circle around Your Name – lack of trust and isolation.
Shapes
Boxes and Cubes – hard-working individual.
Triangles – searching for intellectual answers, risk-taker. However, if you draw a triangle in a triangle, it means you’re feeling threatened.
Square – needs extreme stability and security in relationships.
Circles – loving and honest.
Stars and Diamonds – ambitious.
Swirls and Spirals – lacks direction.
Things
Vegetables – has basic needs.
Fruit – is sensual.
Leaves – love of nature.
Planes – needs to escape.
Dogs – loneliness.
Swans – in a fulfilling relationship.
Beds, Lipstick, or Cars – sexual desire.
People
Closed Eyes – refuses to look deeply into the inner self.
Small Eyes – introvert.
Big Eyes – sensitive.
Thin Lips – lacking romantic relationships.
Full Lips – confident sexually.
Parted Lips – looking for a new partner.
Angels or figures of Children – need guidance on crucial decisions.
Things to Doodle: Simple Geometric Shapes
Easy enough to draw, you can start with the most basic shapes, like circles, hearts, squares, rectangles, cubes, pyramids, and so on. No matter what your artistic level, geometric shapes make a good doodle subject. You can try your hand at a combination of shapes or just one shape in different ways. Different combinations can actually lead to mazes or intricate sculptural drawings.
Things to Doodle: Bullet Journal Doodles
Have you pondered starting a bullet journal? Or maybe you’re way deep into it, but even if you keep the most basic of bullet journals, I’m sure you’ve tried the errant banner or flourish here or there.
Things to Doodle: Paisley Doodles
Paisley is a fantastic doodle motif. You can get lost in designing all your own little cute paisley shapes and putting them together in various ways.
Things to Doodle: Abstract Doodling
If don’t know what to draw, start your art by doodling some abstract figures. Use all the shapes, lines, whatever you can put together, really, and create a masterpiece.
Things to Doodle: Mandalas and Zentagles
Mandalas (or parts of mandalas) are a great way to start doodling if you want some structure. You basically just start at the center and doodle out in concentric circles. Similar to, and overlapping mandalas, is Zentangle, which will send you off in a whole new stratosphere of doodling.
Things to Doodle: Art Ideas
Art is the perfect place to look for inspiration. If you keep a Pinterest board of your favourite art, scroll through and look for shapes, patterns, or even color schemes you love, to reproduce in your doodles.
Things to Doodle: Alphabet Doodle Ideas
The simplest way to doodle with the alphabet is to fill in every little closed area in each letter. But of course, you can do all sorts of fun things with alphabet doodles. And you don’t have to treat it like fancy hand-lettering if that’s not your thing.
Things to Doodle: Foliage or Flowers Doodles
Foliage is one of those subjects to turn to when you can’t think of anything else to draw. It’s easy to draw a little stem and then riff on different leaf or petal ideas. If you’re more into flowers, then you know what to draw.
Things to Doodle: Simple Doodles of People/Animals/Creatures
Doodle time is the perfect time to practice drawing living (or semi-living) things. People, animals, monsters, zombies, whatever creature you can think of.
Things to Doodle: Your Favourite Hobby
Lastly, why not combine art, which is something you like, with a hobby that you absolutely love? It might be some kind of sports, dance, singing, acting, etc. Whatever it is, use your imagination and I’m sure you’ll create something you’ll be super proud of.
