The Art of the Doodle
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Doodling is the physical symbolic recreation of the un-concious mind's meandering thoughts as it searches for something to do in quite moments.
In order to doodle you need a pen, paper, time and not much to occupy your mind.
It sometimes helps if you trying to concentrate on something else much more important and relevant at the time in order to get the best results for your efforts. This is why the most impressive doodles happen whilst talking to someone on the phone, and also in the brief breaks in the working day when you are faced with a problem you are having difficulty solving and do not have the energy to work at it any more.
If you are slightly drunk or under the influence of drugs your doodles will be of a purer representation of your unconciousness than normal due to your mind being completely distracted by the effects of the substance you took at the time.
Everyone doodles at some point in their life whether they are artistic or not, it really doesn't matter. We are not sure why we do it but that doesn't stop us continueing to do it at every oppotunity our unconcious mind is given.
Some of the most common doodles people do can be explained psychologically as physical manifestations of the state mind of the person who created them. Much like dreams they can provide a means of trying to work out what is going on inside the unconcious mind.
For example:
Jagged sharp edged shaped doodles are commonly associated with frustration and feelings of aggression. Repitions of these shapes signifies the level frustration externalised onto the paper.
Round shapes and spirals are associated with confusion and general dis-interest, repitions of these shapes signifies increased levels of dis-interest and boredum in the doodler.
Human features such as eyes and lips signifies the doodlers feelings of isolation and loneliness in whatever situation they are unconciously struggling with. This is not necessarily physical isolation persay but feelings of isolation with solving a problem for example.
Drawing cubes is a common sign of feeling trapped and powerless to resolve a situation. Combined with round shapes and spirals cubes often signify that the doodler really would rather be somewhere else at that particular moment doing soemthing at lot more interesting.
Generally the more complex the doodle the more complex the reasons for creating it. If that is, it isn't drawn with purpose and is merely the result of the mind working itself out pen on paper.
Next time you catch yourself doodling, try to think of why you are drawing the things you do and the reasons behind making that particular choice of mark on the paper.You might be surprised what you find out about yourself in the process.
Also, the next oppotunity you get, see what people around you doodle, to see whether you can work out their state of mind at the time.
The art of doodles is the art of the un-concious mind.
In order to doodle you need a pen, paper, time and not much to occupy your mind.
It sometimes helps if you trying to concentrate on something else much more important and relevant at the time in order to get the best results for your efforts. This is why the most impressive doodles happen whilst talking to someone on the phone, and also in the brief breaks in the working day when you are faced with a problem you are having difficulty solving and do not have the energy to work at it any more.
If you are slightly drunk or under the influence of drugs your doodles will be of a purer representation of your unconciousness than normal due to your mind being completely distracted by the effects of the substance you took at the time.
Everyone doodles at some point in their life whether they are artistic or not, it really doesn't matter. We are not sure why we do it but that doesn't stop us continueing to do it at every oppotunity our unconcious mind is given.
Some of the most common doodles people do can be explained psychologically as physical manifestations of the state mind of the person who created them. Much like dreams they can provide a means of trying to work out what is going on inside the unconcious mind.
For example:
Jagged sharp edged shaped doodles are commonly associated with frustration and feelings of aggression. Repitions of these shapes signifies the level frustration externalised onto the paper.
Round shapes and spirals are associated with confusion and general dis-interest, repitions of these shapes signifies increased levels of dis-interest and boredum in the doodler.
Human features such as eyes and lips signifies the doodlers feelings of isolation and loneliness in whatever situation they are unconciously struggling with. This is not necessarily physical isolation persay but feelings of isolation with solving a problem for example.
Drawing cubes is a common sign of feeling trapped and powerless to resolve a situation. Combined with round shapes and spirals cubes often signify that the doodler really would rather be somewhere else at that particular moment doing soemthing at lot more interesting.
Generally the more complex the doodle the more complex the reasons for creating it. If that is, it isn't drawn with purpose and is merely the result of the mind working itself out pen on paper.
Next time you catch yourself doodling, try to think of why you are drawing the things you do and the reasons behind making that particular choice of mark on the paper.You might be surprised what you find out about yourself in the process.
Also, the next oppotunity you get, see what people around you doodle, to see whether you can work out their state of mind at the time.
The art of doodles is the art of the un-concious mind.
