“I have noticed, that some people start drawing things in a small notebook, every time they get even a few minutes. Why do they do this? Is it some technique to keep your mind from distractions, and always occupied?”
Anonymous (via Quora)
The research shows that yes, doodling does help keep your mind away from distractions:
Participants who doodled while listening to a list of names were 29% more able to recall names compared to those who did not doodle. That’s according to a 2009 study on doodling published in Applied Cognitive Psychology. The researchers concluded that doodlers are less likely to daydream.- Another study found that there was no correlation between doodling and inner thoughts. Participants were just as present while doodling as nondoodlers. Not day dreaming or manifesting subconscious thoughts through doodling.
- Sunni Brown in her Ted Talk on the subject defined doodling: “To make spontaneous marks to help yourself think.” She links the sketching to each of our brain’s information processing systems and natural visual logic:
Brian E. Young is a graphic designer and artist in Baltimore, MD.
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