How To Build A Better Brain With Scribbling

As children, we have all doodled and scribbled on many surfaces such as walls, books, paper and even furniture much to the chagrin of our loving parents. 

Scribbles are an integral part of every person’s life if you think about it. Scribbles are the beginnings of writing. They are a way to express unbridled discovery and freedom within your world, and a boost to your creative appetite. 

When did scribbles become off limits for you? Perhaps in school when your teacher made you feel ashamed for scribbling instead of coloring inside the lines. Perhaps when you were disciplined for scribbling too much on the wall at home. Perhaps when you felt you could no longer safely express yourself with freedom and abandon. Your scribbling days are not over. You still have that little artist inside awaiting to express with freedom. I invite you to open yourself up to this possibility again. You will be amazed at how restorative scribbling can truly be. 

What Scribbling Does for Your Brain

Scribbles help to release frustration and stress. They also enhance your cognitive ability to solve problems. New neural pathways are built when you practice doodling and scribbling. These new neural pathways are then able to help you become quicker and more responsive in your reactions and thought processes. 

Scribbling builds creative thinking as well. It is a scientifically proven fact that doodling while listening to important lectures or something which requires great focus, tends to encourage better focus and the absorption of important information. 

Productivity and creativity get a boost from scribbles and doodles as well..

Patterns encourage calm and order

 When you scribble you find patterns in your scribbles that you are attracted to and patterns that will help calm you. Patterns are the brains way of making sense and order in a chaotic world. Scribbling enhances the brains ability to recognize patterns. Your Brain may then repeat the patter  as it feels comfortable to do so. 

Recycle your scribbles

 Don’t be afraid to reuse scribbles in other works of art such as collage or art journals. 

Art journals are one of the best ways to destress and express your emotions using art. Scribbles make for great backgrounds or additions to images. 

Scribbles for pain therapy

Scribbling is also a great way to deal with physical pain. Creating a focus for your mind that helps distract from the pain you are dealing with. As your brain receives the pain messages you are releasing the mental build up of anxiety and stress through scribbling.

Your scribbles can be small and focused or large strokes to express how intense your pain is feeling. 

For more on therapeutic art for physical pain, listen to my podcast episode here. 

Try It out Today

Start scribbling and notice the improvements in your stress levels, your thought processes and your creative ideas.

For more information on how I can help you discover how to scribble and use Expressive art as a therapeutic practice, follow this link