Do You Doodle?

Doodle Therapy - Psychedelic Yin-Yang - Patricia Kay

A doodle can be random scribbles, dreamy florals, ornate motifs, linear mazes or intricate, complex designs.  While common design elements are used, doodles are as unique as the person creating them.

Have you ever watched someone doodling?  They seem to be transported to another place - relaxed, but fixated on their creation.  You even begin to find yourself more relaxed just watching them.

What makes doodling different from drawing and sketching?

What sets doodling apart from drawing and sketching, is that doodling is more a reflection of an inner state - a snapshot of what one is feeling or what is going on at that moment.  And that, in itself, is the biggest benefit of doodling.

I find that drawing is more deliberate with an expected outcome, while doodling is a more spontaneous process that is more open to creative and expressive impulses.  Not only that, there is less judgment of the outcome.

Doodling, as an art form, is not taken very seriously; after all, it's just - doodling!  Right?

So, here you have a creative activity that:

• allows you to scribble, draw or design anywhere from a simple or cartoon-like style to one that is highly skilled or complex.
• can look silly, weird, fantasy-like or childish to sophisticated, organic or intriguing.
• does not have to be perfect - can even be totally awful.
• allows you to express your mood - good or bad.
• releases tension, stress or negative energy.
• can bring about an open and receptive creative state.
• can help one to identify and recognize the symbols of one's mental and emotional state at any given time.

If you ask me, I think that's a pretty impressive and powerful art form!  Just by doodling and observing your current state, you can reframe or redirect your energy to anything you choose, simply by changing how and what you doodle or by letting the process flow naturally until a shift takes place.

If you don't doodle - you should try it!  It can be used:

• as a tool for personal growth and transformation if it is done regularly in the Daily Doodle Journal.
• to develop creativity and be the vehicle for your creative journey.
• to bring yourself into a higher level of positive energy.

I use doodling as a daily practice primarily to release stress and keep the creative channels open.  For me, having even just a few minutes each day of creative release, is very therapeutic and keeps the creative juices flowing.

The example above is quite different than the technique I use in my Daily Doodle Journal.  In my daily entries, (examples below) I do quick, simple drawings that relate to how I am feeling both physically and emotionally and reflect my energetic state.  I follow my intuition and creative impulses rather than any pre-conceived idea as to what to draw.  The result is spontaneous and more natural looking - and sometimes a little "unusual".



Doodle Therapy - Patricia Kay





Doodle Therapy -
Finding a Delicate Balance
Patricia Kay



If I am stressed or disconnected, my doodles will reflect that. When I am not in a positive state, I will continue with additional pages until there is a shift in my energy, which will be very obvious in the drawing and how you feel.

The main purpose of the Daily Doodle Journal is not to create beautiful drawings in the journal, but rather to draw in a way that is more expressive and intuitive to enhance well-being, develop creativity and increase positive energy.  It is my therapy!

Doodling for Creative Problem Solving

Doodling is also an effective way to stimulate the mind for creative ideas and problem solving.  When you're doodling, your thought process changes.  You're in a more receptive and clear state of mind.

Need a creative idea, a solution to a problem or need to make a choice?  Try this exercise:

• Write down your need/problem and any ideas or obstacles that you have.
• Take a few minutes to go over your thoughts.
• Now, using whatever you prefer - pencil, marker or crayons, start to scribble or draw, using lines, squiggles, dots or slash marks in whatever way you are feeling.  By that, I mean, if you are feeling frazzled or confused, you might express that with zig-zagging Ines scribbled across the paper.  Or if you're feeling very low energy and don't know where to start, you might have light, spotty or droopy lines that look like they're going nowhere. That's perfect, you want to start where you are and progress to where you want to be.

Caution:  Do not judge what comes out on the paper - it will only stifle the creative process.

• Follow any urge you have to draw something - no matter how "out there" you perceive it to be.  Honor what you intuition is telling you by putting it on paper.  It might just be a symbol or clue to the answer or solution you are looking for.
• Your doodling does not have be be an elaborate design.  It can be just a few lines or simple image (like the example above).  When you feel that it is complete, start a new page.

I usually spend only a few minutes or even a few seconds on a page and then continue with additional pages until I see and feel a shift in my energy and drawing.  When the shift happens, you will see a distinct difference in the  look and style of your doodle.  It will be either more free and relaxed or more intricate and defined.  At this point, if you haven't received an answer, you can continue with additional pages or walk away to allow the ideas to start percolating.  I like to do this before I go to bed.  Usually, by morning I will have my answer.  Bigger issues may take several days - with obstacles or negative ideas popping up that need to be addressed.

• You can also deliberately draw images of what you are trying to achieve or get to in order to reframe or direct the process.  I prefer letting the process flow at its own pace.  For me, reframing, which I will discuss in another post, works better on something that I want to change that is known.

Sometimes, this process is not what gives you the idea or answer.  Instead, it clears all the clutter in your thinking to allow the creative process to start flowing again.

The Power of the Simple Doodle

For the cost of a pad of paper and pencil, you can get lasting stress relief, become more creative, solve problems, overcome obstacles, eliminate negative energy and change your mood.  That's pretty cheap therapy!



Happy Doodling!



Experimental Art - Monoprints With a Twist - Part II

Doodle Therapy - Monoprint - Green Wings - Patricia Kay
Air Brush Paint on Paper

Creative expression of any kind has the ability to transport you to a state of being that can heal, relax and transform your spirit.

It can provide you with an outlet to eliminate negative energy or to bring positive energy in.  For me, expressive, experimental art and doodling is all I need to eliminate any stress and find inner balance.

But what about the times when you would like to create something, but just don't know what you want to do?  What about when you're just feeling stuck or tired or bored and would like something that gives you quick results?  What if you don't have the time and you need a little creative energy and instant gratification?  If your're in need of a creative boost, this experimental art technique will get the creative juices flowing.

In my preious post, I described the how-to's of creating quick and easy monoprints with a twist by adding paint mediums for intricate and intriguing designs.  In this post, I would like to focus on the use of this technique for creative development and the creative journey.

If you are in real need of creative rejuvenation, stress relief or creative escape, I highly recommend that you try this technique.  Because these paintings "paint themselves", there is no pressure on you to produce some pre-conceived outcome.

The process becomes the focus.  You provide the choice of colors, amount of paint and the expressive touch of your hands to create your painting, but the results will be the unknown. 

If you're willing to go with the flow of the process, you will find yourself in a more relaxed and reflective state.  One that is more conducive to healing, growth and expanding creative development.

This is also a great activity for kids or seniors alike.  My 81 year old mother created the one below.  Using your fingers and hands to magically design the drizzled and squiggled paint is fun and appeals to one's sense of adventure.  Discovering the surprise design when the painting is revealed is truly joyful.



Doodle Thereapy - Monoprint - Posies - Norma Kay
Acrylics and Gloss Medium on Paper

 Give this technique a try - you'll find yourself totally engaged in the process and making many more.  For complete instructions and more examples, click Monoprints With a Twist.

And don't forget your Daily Doodle Journal!  Even if you can only devote five minutes for a quick little doodle, keeping up the practice will keep the creative channels open.

Happy Doodling!

Experimental Art - Monoprints With a Twist

Body of Pink - Doodle Therapy - Patricia Kay



Looking for a quick shot of creativity with very little effort?  Try the old art of monoprinting.  It's easy, has the element of surprise and you'll find yourself making one after the other.

Monoprints are nothing new.  The method I use is like the one you might have done in grade school, where you put drops o paint on a folded sheet of paper, and then peel back the paper to reveal your design.

The twist is the addition of different painting mediums to create intricate designs with lots of texture and luminosity.  You will be able to create designs with very organic-like texture that would be difficult to reproduce by hand.

I love the spontaneity and instant gratification of this technique.  If you are not a painter, but would like to experiment with painting, this is a great way to start.  If you're an artist looking for something new and fun, this back to basics technique with a twist might just be the creativity booster you've been looking for.

For this experimental art exercise, you won't need any special plates or brayers, just a pad of bristol vellum paper, paint (suggestions below) and various paint mediums (listed below).

You will need:

• Any size bristol vellum paper or whatever you prefer
• Paints - acrylics (artist or craft) or air brush paint
• Your choice of painting mediums - gloss, gel, glazing, pouring, iridescent

Here's how it's done:

• You will need two sheets of paper.  You will use one for your paint and mediums, the other, you will place on top of the paper with the paint.

You will need to work quickly so that your paper doesn't stick together.

• On a covered or protected surface, squirt, drizzle or drop paint randomly across the paper.  Then do the same with the medium.

Caution:  too much paint and you'll end up with a solid mass of paint; too little paint and your paper will stick together.  Use less paint near the edges of the paper to prevent paint from oozing out when pressure is applied.

•  Carefully, line up your second sheet of paper to place on top of the painted sheet - if you would like it to be a mirror image, line it up exactly (all corners matching).  Don't take too long doing this or your paper will stick together.
• Use your hands intuitively to press and sweep across the top of your paper.  Paint will ooze out from the sides, so make sure your working on a protected surface and have paper towels ready for cleaning off your hands.

This is the magical part of the process because it is the way that you quickly sweep across, lightly pat or finger dance across the paper along with how you sprinkled your paint and medium, that will spontaneously create your monoprint.  Your hands become the press.

Caution:  Pressing too hard and too long will cause your paper to stick together.

Now, for the ooh part:

• Just peel back a corner to reveal your surprise design.

The end result will give you random areas where the medium has blended with the paint or is clear on the paper.

Using the airbrush paint creates these great textured and transparent areas.  However, rather than buying a lot of extra paint, try using a gel or glazing medium with your acrylic paint for a similar look.

What is really cool about your twin paintings is that you can cut exact portions from each sheet of paper to use in collages or side by side display (like the one above) and no matter which way you turn them, they will match.

In the example above, air brush paint from the bottle was used with iridescent medium.  Air brush paint will work differently than acrylics in that it doesn't move or spread easily.  You will tend to get a lot of round splotches if you don't use enough paint.  You can mist some water on the paint before you press.  You will also find that it is tackier than acrylics when dry. 

In the example below, Liquitex acrylics were used with gloss medium.




Eclipse of the Heart - Doodle Therapy - Patricia Kay

 

Use your intuition to pick pleasing colors.  Add the mediums or just use the paint alone.  When you add the second sheet on top, use your hands and fingers to express how you feel - light hearted, tense, indifferent - whatever the energy, this is the alchemy that will transform your drizzles and drops into an intriguing design.

I hope you will take the time to try this simple technique.  It will uplift your creative spirit and help you move through any creative block.  Any stress that was lingering will quickly melt away as you get lost in the transformative process of creation.

Don't forget to keep up your Daily Doodle Journal.  If you haven't started, click on the link to find out how.

Happy Doodling!





Art For Healing and Transformation

The power of the arts (art, music, dance, writing etc) to heal the body, mind and spirit has been documented and studied extensively.

I'd like to say upfront that I am not an art therapist.  I am a creative soul on my own healing journey and would like to pass on to you what I have learned along the way.

In my quest to find inner balance and serenity, I use experimental art, expressive art, doodling and writing to clear away any stress and negativity.

There are many ways to use the arts to achieve a more positive state of being.  The simplest act of just coloring, dancing or listening to music that uplifts you can be enough to melt away stress and tension.

However, if what you are really seeking is a way to dig deeper for personal growth and well-being, then you may want to try more expressive approaches.

An expressive approach means you are creating what you feel - it's about the process of creation - about getting to what is underneath the surface and allowing it to be seen or dealt with.  Your end product is not so much the object created, but instead, what was revealed to you in the process.

It requires you to develop a tolerance to look at something that might not be acceptable or what was intended.  If you are open and willing to let go of what has been holding you back, you will find yourself on a path to self discovery.  A path that can lead you to better understand yourself and uncover hidden strengths and talents.

I recommend using a Daily Doodle Journal for many reasons:

• When you doodle, you are more apt to doodle what you feel - you are more connected with your inner state.
• It is more spontaneous, with less expectation of a certain outcome.
• You can do one quick entry or do a few quick pages until you see the energy shift.
• If done on a daily basis, over time, you will see patterns emerge that you are able to identify as certain emotional states. 
• This daily practice allows you to take a slower approach to personal growth and change that is much easier to accomplish.

Periodically, trying other techniques will help develop and transform your creative spirit.  With practice, you will find your personal creative style evolve and become more distinct.  But, there will be times when you might want to use a more abstract, primitive or child-like approach to your work.

This allows you to get to the heart of the matter more quickly.  It allows you to better express what you are feeling at the moment.

In the example below, I used tempera paint on bristol vellum.  I  was in a positive state and had a positive outlook about where I was with my life, but there were some "remains" of where I had been lingering on in the background.  This painting is a great example of reframing - taking a negative image and putting it info a more positive light.  I will expand on this concept in another post.

The dark image of the bullet riddled, bandaged and wounded heart was not the intention at the start. The process started happily with the long curving strokes in the middle.  When I  added the black strokes, feelings of the past started to creep in.  I tried to fend off them off, but they just wouldn't go away.  I wanted my paining to be "pretty".  I finally gave in and painted the wounded heart.  And once I did, the remainder started to flow with the symbols of rebirth and transformation.

I have never felt compelled to draw or paint embryo-like images, but that is what I felt compelled to do at that moment and didn't understand it.  While I felt a lot of hesitation to put it in the painting, I was also feeling a great release of positive energy.  I still have that same conflict when looking at it.

It may seem like an odd image to someone if they are observing it with the expectation that artwork is meant to be displayed.  This type of art is done strictly for what it reveals to its creator and sometimes it is better left for their eyes only.  Otherwise they may leave themselves open to others' criticism as they try to understand it or judge its level of expertise.

In taking a risk putting this out there, I hope you will see the value in what is being revealed.  Writing in a journal would never have adequately conveyed the message and feeling that this painting reveals.

So my challenge to you is:

• Can you allow the images that want to appear to emerge in your creations?
• Can you refrain from judging them harshly?
• Can you appreciate and recognize what is being revealed to you?

Two great books that I highly recommend for more in-depth information on this subject:

• Art and Healing - Using Expressive Art to Heal Your Body, Mind and Spirit by Barbara Ganim and...
• Point Zero - Creativity Without Limits by Michelle Cassou

Happy Doodling!