Drawing can expand your visual thinking skills and your horizons. You just need a little practice. So, here are a few good places to start.
Drawing is the tool we use to express our visual thinking. And we know that when we're thinking visually - whether we're making plans, plotting projects, or solving problems of any sort - we're able to think with greater speed, clarity and agility. That's why, at Scriberia, we value pictures that work hard, do a job, tell a story and facilitate thinking. We know that, often, the most valuable pictures aren't the most beautiful - they're the ones that pull big ideas out into the real world, where people can see, evaluate, refine, and share them. When you think of drawing this way, you start to see that you don't have to be an artist to draw a brilliant picture; you just need a pencil, some paper, a bit of practice and a willingness to express your ideas visually. So, instead of aspiring to create a work of art, why not try to create some art that works? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Keep a visual journal
Drawing is the perfect way to build some structure into this nebulous lockdown period, and record the days as they pass. Whether you're an artist or not, a simple visual journal will form a unique account of these extraordinary times, as well as helping you focus on and appreciate the moments that matter. Just three simple drawings a day will add up to an incredibly rich and personal document in just a couple of weeks.
Make a visual aide memoire
Wouldn't it be great to learn a speech or poem off by heart? Make those words stick with pictures.The act of drawing is proven to help cement concepts in our long term memory, and by breaking the text down into a sequence of images you'll find the words come flooding back when you use them as prompts. The pictures don't need to mean anything to anyone but you - just use whatever comes to mind.
Create a workout infographic
Whether it's yoga or a sweaty HIIT session, a visual plan will help you focus on your exercise without worrying about what comes next. But if you do want to add a little unpredictability, try this: draw all your favourite exercises onto index cards, and then pull a few from the pack at random for a unique workout every day. We're pretty sure Joe Wicks does just that!
Connect, collaborate and create together online
We know that drawing out your ideas makes any collaborative conversation more productive, and you don't need to miss out on the power of pictures just because you're working remotely. Some conferencing platforms offer digital whiteboards, but the old fashioned way often feels more natural and spontaneous. So grab a pen and get scribbling.
Draw to remember better
In 2016 Yale researchers "observed a phenomenon they termed the 'drawing effect' — that illustrating a word’s meaning always leads to the highest levels of memory recall." When every meeting looks and feels the same it's easy for details to slip your mind, but visual notetaking will anchor them in your memory.
Log your life with creative charts
Want to try creating infographics but need some info to work with? Why not become your own source of data and tell a visual story of your lockdown life through creative graphs and charts? Look for opportunities to make your infographics more playful and engaging by building the subject matter into the structure itself.
Scriberia Academy is now online. We offer a monthly Using Ink to Think workshop, and a six-week diploma course in visual thinking. Click below to find out more, and book your place.