Doodle For Relaxation

This post is about how doodling with a pen helps me free up the brain fog, “Doodle For Relaxation” and also to release tension and act as an “ideas generator” and how this can help you too…

I love to make a freeform sketch or doodle during most evenings. I often record it live on Periscope, the social media tool. In this post, I am going to doodle sketch on a flat surface, don’t forget that you can also use a similar doodle or sketch process with 3D shapes such as plasticine.

Actually, what I am doing here is not a true doodle according to the definition in Wikipedia – 

“A doodle is a drawing made while a person’s attention is otherwise occupied.”

This is not quite what I do. I usually have full attention while doing this but rather than analysing what I am doing, it is freer.

However, for this post. I will still refer to this work as a doodle or a sketch…

Why?

Tonight, as you will see in the video, I made a doodle on a whiteboard at Fablab Isafjordur in Northwest Iceland. At the moment, there is a hotel nearby and people could see me make the doodle.

To many, I’m sure it looks like a random scribble or mess. To others who may be interested in abstract art, it could resonate. However, these doodles are not random chaotic messes. They are controlled to a certain degree and also have huge benefits from just the joy of making the work itself.

Here Are Only Some Of The Benefits – 

1. On a long day, working with technical restrictions on creative projects using tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters or 3D graphics and other FabLab technologies, it is a great release to be able to express myself much more freely. The old traditional route of pen, pencil, brush or other types of marker onto a 2D surface such as paper is so simple, so easy and so fresh.
2.  You can make dynamic big movements that allow you to alleviate stress and tension.
3. Drawing quickly and automatically like this means that you reduce your analytical thinking part of the brain and let things, well “flow”…
4. Perhaps the most important thing that links this to your other creative projects is that it is an Ideas Factory. Shapes, objects, lines you draw in the doodle sketch may  jump out at the end. It may just provide you with a new shape you were looking for for a logo, a spaceship design, a sculpture etc. Check in this post made a few months ago where I took a doodle and developed it into a fully 3D rendered concept for an imaginary city.

Within my creative process, my main value system is that we can change our future to a certain extent but not our past. That we should look to the future with optimism and wonder. Immediate future and also more distant future such as those cities of the imagination that I make. In this sense, doodle sketching like this is a great thing.

At all times, you can express yourself with bold expression in your drawing work. Little by little, doing this on most days you can, it will build up and your ideas will start to progress and get even better.

How?

I was actually thinking of making an Instructables about this.  Seriously!

Then, I thought that could be slightly more than is needed.

The process is simple –

1. Find something that makes marks such as a pen, pencil, paintbrush etc.
2. Find something to draw on. For example a whiteboard, a sheet of paper, a concrete pavement.
3. Just start drawing. Take your hand and make lines, see how it goes.

That is the process, so simple. Try it now! Check out the results below. For me, Im really pleased with the energy the doodle conveys, the fast lines and shapes.

VIDEO –

Check out this in-depth video below about the doodle I made today on the whiteboard…

Going Further…

As always, there are some many way that you can take this further.

Just open up ideas, big stuff, small stuff, tagging, paper plaster on walls etc, laser cutter, 3d printer etc.

There is also a really good site where you can share your Doodles and check out what other people are doing, I sometimes check it out,

it has the amusing name of Doodlers Anonymous !

Finally, you could also try to record your doodles on Periscope. You can check out what I do there from time to time too,

my tag there as well as Twitter is @jamesabellart.

Thanks for reading this blog post and checking out the accompanying Youtube Video. Did you like this post “Doodle For Relaxation”?

Let me know if you like this post by making a comment below or email me at info@jamesabellart.com for your suggestions or if you would like a private Skype lesson.

Ways to Say Thanks! 🙂 

Donate with bitcoin…

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Buy my art  here on my online shop . 

I look forward to talking with you again soon and keep making and creating!

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