I meet with Melissa Carter from @happychilduk recently to exchange ideas on how to support wellness, creativity and self confidence. We were talking about the role of art in health and Melissa said that she uses the term “doodling” instead of “drawing”. It’s a simple change of words but it can make a big difference in perceptions. More often than not, whenever I ask an adult to draw something for me, a look of terror comes across their face. It’s amazing to me that something as simple as drawing can stir up so much fear. And drawing is meant to be fun! Well it used to be fun for all of us when we were young. Unfortunately somewhere along the way, that sense of fun gets lost. To me it seems to be around age 8 to 10 when we start to think we need to draw realistically in order to be judged as good. It may actually be even younger than this, when we start to label and associate words with images. As Melissa pointed out, it stops being an expression of emotion and starts being about an object or depiction. I really like her idea of calling it “doodling” because doodles don’t need to be about anything in particular. There’s no pressure when you doodle. It’s just fun! I love it! I will be adding many a doodle-session into my Wellness Journal. Thanks Melissa for the idea! Melissa is a Kids Coach with a wealth of experience supporting and up skilling children and parents. She helps kids decrease stress, feel more balanced and build self confidence. You can reach her through Lucks Yard and @thehappychilduk.
Remember doodling? Otherwise know as fun drawing!
