{"id":60868,"date":"2021-12-27T15:34:20","date_gmt":"2021-12-27T20:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=60868"},"modified":"2021-12-27T15:34:20","modified_gmt":"2021-12-27T20:34:20","slug":"have-you-fallen-for-the-myth-of-i-cant-draw-do-it-anyway-and-reap-the-rewards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/have-you-fallen-for-the-myth-of-i-cant-draw-do-it-anyway-and-reap-the-rewards\/","title":{"rendered":"Have you fallen for the myth of \u2018I can\u2019t draw\u2019? Do it anyway \u2013 and reap the rewards"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nDrawing is a powerful tool of communication. It helps build self-understanding and can\u00a0boost<\/a>\u00a0mental health.<\/p>\n

But our current focus on productivity, outcomes and \u201ctalent\u201d has us thinking about it the wrong way. Too many believe the\u00a0myth<\/a>\u00a0of \u201cI can\u2019t draw\u201d, when in fact it\u2019s a skill built through practice.<\/p>\n

Dedicated practice is hard, however, if you\u2019re constantly asking yourself: \u201cWhat\u2019s the point of drawing?\u201d<\/p>\n

As I argue in a new\u00a0paper<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Closure E-Journal for Comic Studies<\/a>, we need to reframe our concept of what it means to draw, and why we should do it \u2013 especially if you think you can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Devoting a little time to drawing each day may make you happier, more employable and sustainably productive.
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Automatic drawing \u2013 where one doodles without a specific aim \u2013 is a way to tap into flow states and become mindfully absorbed. Darren C. Fisher, Author provided<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

The many benefits of drawing<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I\u2019m a keen doodler who turned a hobby into a PhD and then a career. I\u2019ve taught all ages at universities, in library workshops and online. In that time, I\u2019ve noticed many people do not recognise their own potential as a visual artist; self-imposed limitations are common.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s partly because, over time, drawing as a skill set has been devalued.\u00a0A 2020 poll<\/a>\u00a0ranked artist as the top non-essential job.<\/p>\n

But new jobs are emerging all the time for visual thinkers who can translate complex information into easily understood visuals.<\/p>\n

Big companies\u00a0hire<\/a>\u00a0comic creators to document corporate meetings visually, so participants can track the flow of ideas in real time. Cartoonists are paid to draft\u00a0innovative, visual contracts<\/a>\u00a0for law firms.
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Drawing without an intended outcome often ends with surprising results. Darren C. Fisher<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Perhaps you were told as a child to stop doodling and get back to work. While drawing is often quiet and introspective, it\u2019s certainly not a \u201cwaste of time\u201d. On the contrary, it has significant mental health benefits and should be cultivated in children and adults alike.<\/p>\n

How we feel influences\u00a0how we draw<\/a>. Likewise, engaging with drawing affects how we feel; it can help us understand and process our inner world.<\/p>\n

Art-making can\u00a0reduce anxiety<\/a>,\u00a0elevate mood<\/a>,\u00a0improve quality of life<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0promote general creativity<\/a>. Art therapy has even been\u00a0linked to<\/a>\u00a0reduced symptoms of distress and higher quality of life for cancer patients.<\/p>\n

And it can help you enter a \u201cflow state\u201d, where self-consciousness disappears, focus sharpens, work comes easily to you and mental blockages seem to evaporate.
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Making simple repetitive marks is a great way to develop your drawing skills. Darren C. Fisher<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Cultivating a drawing habit<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Cultivating a drawing habit means letting go of biases against drawing and against copying others to learn technique. Resisting the urge to critically compare your work to others\u2019 is also important.<\/p>\n

Most children don\u2019t care about what\u2019s considered \u201cessential\u201d to a functioning society. They draw instinctively and freely.<\/p>\n

Part of the reason drawing rates are thought to be\u00a0higher in Japan<\/a>\u00a0is their immersion in Manga (Japanese comics), a broadly popular and culturally important medium.<\/p>\n

Another is an emphasis on diligent practice. Children copy and practise the Manga style,\u00a0providing a critical stepping stone<\/a>\u00a0from free scribbling to controlled representation. Copying is not seen as a no-no; it\u2019s integral to building skill.<\/p>\n

As researcher and artist Neil Cohn\u00a0argues<\/a>, learning to draw is similar to (and as crucial as) learning language, a skill built through exposure and practice:
\nYet, unlike language, we consider it normal for people not to learn to draw, and consider those who do to be exceptional [\u2026] Without sufficient practice and exposure to an external system, a basic system persists despite arguably impoverished developmental conditions.<\/em>
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Copying art styles adds to your \u2018visual library\u2019. From top left: Herge, Tezuka, Brunetti, Miller, Kirby, Woodring. Darren C. Fisher<\/p><\/div>
\nSo choose an art style you love and copy it. Encourage children to while away hours drawing. Don\u2019t worry about how it turns out. Prioritise the conscious experience of drawing over the result.<\/p>\n

With regular practice, you may find yourself occasionally melting into states of \u201cflow<\/a>\u201d, becoming wholly absorbed. A small, regular pocket of time to temporarily escape the busy world and enter a flow state via drawing may help you in other parts of your life.<\/p>\n

How to get started<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Use simple tools that you\u2019re comfortable with, whether it\u2019s a ballpoint pen on post-it notes, pencil on paper, a dirty window, or a foggy mirror.<\/p>\n

Times you\u2019d typically be aimlessly scrolling on your phone are prime candidates for a quick sketch. Doodle when you\u2019re on the phone, watching a movie, bored in a waiting room.
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