Did You Know Doodling Changes Lives?

Are you one of those people who stopped drawing after primary school because you were told at some stage that your drawings didn’t quite hit the mark? I certainly was one of those people and I know I am not alone. Many of us stopped drawing because we started to believe we weren’t good enough.

“…visuals, particularly in their most basic and imperfect form, can play an important part in creating personal and social change.”

At school, drawing was taught as an art form. And although it is, at its core drawings are a universal language – something we can use to communicate and translate information and emotions. And doodling is a simple form of drawing that is accessible to anyone who can hold a pen and pencil. It doesn’t need to be ‘good’, it just needs to be honest.

It is sad that doodling was often dismissed and seen as disruptive, because visuals, particularly in their most basic and imperfect form, can play an important part in creating personal and social change.

Earlier this year I came across The Big Draw – a pioneering visual literacy charity dedicated to raising the profile of drawing as a tool for wellbeing, thought, creativity, social and cultural engagement. The charity leads a diverse programme of advocacy, empowerment and engagement, and is the founder and driving force behind The Big Draw Festival – the world’s biggest celebration of drawing. The festival theme for this year was #MakeChange and it was part of the reason why I was inspired to start my Doodle Earth Challenge.