Remember Doodling?

Doodling takes me back to my childhood.

There’s a natural flow to doodling. You’re not actively engaged in what you are drawing. If anything, you may be on the phone talking to someone or daydreaming while listening to music. At the same time, your hand and your inner creativity are expressing something completely authentic onto paper. It’s as if you have given your soul permission to tap into your inner creativity.

Doodling is an unapologetic expression. When you doodle, you’re not doing it for other people’s eyes or criticism. It may even seem that you’re bored in some way and your hands just need something to do. But, it’s far from boredom! It’s a rare freedom that we don’t often allow ourselves to indulge in. Especially once we enter the age of accountability and start caring, maybe too much what others may think of us.

I have a very vivid memory of sitting at the kitchen table, doodling in my mom’s address book. We had a small black and white tv that sat in the kitchen on a tv tray. I can still hear it playing in the background; the audience laughter coming from the tv show. There I sat, on that green, cushioned bench seat that wrapped around our rectangular table; half watching my Saturday morning show and doodling. When I think back on this memory I feel so present in that space and time. It’s amazing how our memories can transport us in that special way. I can’t clearly see what I was doodling, but in my mind’s eye I see flowers…I still love drawing flowers today. Oh, how I wish I still had that address book! What a treasure it would be!

When was the last time you doodled? Is it a distant, fond memory like mine? Maybe it’s time to embrace the joy of doodling; a joy that reminds us not to take ourselves so seriously. It’s perhaps time to re-imagine effortless creativity in a world that has become inundated with artificial intelligence and airbrushed perfection. There’s something so raw and beautiful about authentic creative expression that money simply can’t buy. It doesn’t march to the beat of any algorithm. It doesn’t base it’s value on ‘Likes’ or ‘Views.’ It simply exists in the breath and life of the one creating; the one who has turned off the noise around them, who has taken the limits off of their imagination, and has let creativity flow through every movement of their hand.

So, what do you say?

Are you ready to step back into a time where instead of stressing about life's responsibilities, you enjoyed the leisure of putting pen to paper and seeing where your creativity took you? I understand that with adulthood we do have stress and deadlines. However, maybe we can be more intentional about giving ourselves a grown-up time-out to rest our weary minds and reconnect with our souls...one doodle at a time.

Doodle journal, sketch book. 150 pages waiting for your creativity and imagination!

Here’s to reconnecting with our souls,

Yoli

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