Don't let your inability to draw well hold you back from drawing. The activity of drawing can "reduce anxiety, elevate mood, improve quality of life and promote general creativity," says Darren C Fisher, Lecturer in Animation at Swinburne University of Technology.
In his essay for The Conversation, Fisher encourages getting past your belief that you are a poor drawer. Aimless drawing, or doodling, "is a way to tap into flow states and become mindfully absorbed." He also recommends copy other people's drawings:
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' is also important.
Most children don't care about what's considered "essential" to a functioning society. They draw instinctively and freely.
Part of the reason drawing rates are thought to be higher in Japan is their immersion in Manga (Japanese comics), a broadly popular and culturally important medium.
Another is an emphasis on diligent practice. Children copy and practise the Manga style, providing a critical stepping stone from free scribbling to controlled representation. Copying is not seen as a no-no; it's integral to building skill.
I have notebooks full of doodles but lately I've been drawing on my iPad with a Logitech Crayon:
Previously:
• Reagan's doodles
• Take a longer tour of Mr. Doodle's house
• Medieval kids' birch-bark doodles
• Hilarious money doodles
• More of Pete Emslie's doodles on newspapers
