This exercise takes a look at art-based methodology with a focused activity that brings art to the emotional mind too and can be very useful for unlocking creative thoughts and allowing your ideas a little freedom.

The Theory

Do you remember those times in school where you got bored and doodled? Whether it was cartoons, patterns, or just endless spirals in the back of an exercise book, many of us can recall times where we wanted something to do with our hands, feeling that urge to move when stuck in one spot. This is a normal response to being made to keep still and quiet, and this inertia can quickly lead to low feelings for those of us who need a higher level of positive influence in our lives.

This exercise takes a twofold approach to relaxation, by lifting those who are experiencing boredom into a peaceful place where they have something relaxing to do, but also by giving those who are experiencing physical anxiety or a sense of being stifled a chance to put their energy to use. Both of these processes require the exercise to give the mind something new and calming to focus on until those other unproductive emotions have passed. My twist on this usually meditative process is to incorporate a focused form of art, but one which is very easy to accomplish at any given time or place.

The Activity

It’s always handy to keep supplies with you for this one so that you can break out a doodling exercise whenever you need a time out from worries or tension. Any kind of notepad or scrap paper will do, along with a small case of colored pencils, pens, or crayons. Colour is key here because it plays a big part in mood and emotion, so do make sure you have a selection at hand. And as for your focus, you can bring those from home, or look for them in the world around you at that moment.

We begin with a focal point. It’s handy to have an image or object to look at, just for something that can bring you ideas to prevent your mind from wandering back to worries and the like. It could be an object on your desk at work, a photograph from your phone, or an image in a book or magazine. Whatever the case, spend a few moments observing and noticing details about it before you begin. Then, base your doodle on something about the object or image, but do not draw it exactly as it is. For example, if your image is that of a glass, you might start doodling about cocktails, or windows. Keep it loose, change your colors often, and always go back to the image when you’re stuck.

Reflection

You can do this exercise for a couple of minutes or a couple of hours, depending on how you feel about art. The central importance of this exercise is to have a loose focus at hand from which your creativity can spark. They say a picture paints a thousand words, and so a focus can spark a thousand ideas, and it’s in the outpouring of those ideas that you can release a lot of clutter from busy minds, and fill empty minds with fresh new thoughts. This replacement of ideas helps to filter the less important worries away, and it should leave you with only pressing concerns that are genuine and urgent, thus enabling you to feel more in control about what really matters in your busy day.