One of the simplest and easiest ways to make yourself more creative is also one of the oldest human “art” forms: doodling. It is not just a way to stay awake in yet another boring meeting!
Doodling is free drawing. This just means drawing without a plan to create anything in particular. You draw without paying much, if any, attention to the outcome. Doodling helps you to be more creative in multiple ways. And no, you do not need to be able to draw well to doodle.
It allows your conscious mind to “switch off”
Or at least to attend to other issues (like those boring meetings). Your conscious mind is not engaged at all in the process of doodling. It is your unconscious mind doing all the work. This means that it is free to process information, come up with new ideas, refine ideas you have already had, and form connections through free association.
Most creative ideas start in the subconscious and anything that allows it free rein helps this process along. Doodling is just one of the best ways to do that.
It uses different circuits in the brain
Every action we take and every thought we have utilizes different sets of circuits in our brains. Some of these circuits are used repeatedly throughout every day, while others are only used occasionally.
MRIs have shown that doodling uses a seldom-used circuit that is related to creativity, comprehension, and problem-solving. This means that doodling improves your thinking ability and your creativity!
Doodling improves both your mood and your focus
Just spending a few minutes doodling has a powerful effect on your mood that is at least the equivalent of eating chocolate. It also improves your ability to focus for a few hours. (Hence why it is used so often by people in meetings.)
These two effects combine to temporarily improve your creative faculties. If you doodle on a regular basis, some of the effects can become permanent.
How do you doodle? Grab a pen or pencil and a blank sheet of paper and just draw. Do not think about it or try to draw well. Focus your attention elsewhere or just zone out. Play some music if you like. Draw whatever comes to mind.
Your doodles can be works of art if you are good at drawing, or might be unrecognizable. It does not matter. Squiggly lines and wiggly shapes are perfectly acceptable.