Wordless Expression. This is the title for the workshop I did at Cleveland State last Friday as part of the "Create a Life" seminar. The participants in the workshop were therapists (art and occupational), social workers, nurses and psychologists. We doodlers recognize each other. We also recognize our first cousins the fidgeters. We are people that need to be engaged on more than one level. Doodling can be expansive and enlightening. Our tools are all marks that can be made: dots, triple dots, variegated dots, slashes, swirls, swoopies and lines of all kinds. We find patterns all over the place and take inspiration from: fabrics, nature, braids, ribbons and picnic baskets. Most of us have been doodling, and feeling a bit guilty about it, for most of our lives. We are looked at as if we are not paying attention. But a new study discussed in Time Magazine tested doodlers versus non-doodlers attending a lecture full of detail. The doodlers actually recalled more information from the lecture. It was surmised that somehow doodling kept the attendee from day dreaming, and more on focus. Wow. Good News. Dissolve that guilt. Arm yourselves with pen and paper for that next bored meeting. (or is that board?)
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