We Don’t Need to Learn to Draw to Draw to Learn
Research and Practice on Drawing to Learn
"Drawing is putting a line (a)round an idea." Henri Matisse
Human beings have been drawing for more than 70,000 years. Drawing is a fundamental part of being human. While we might not have the physical strength of our evolutionary ancestors, our hands are well-suited to manipulate small tools , first rocks, to axes, and — as time went on — writing instruments.
Our hands were made to draw.
Instead of thinking of drawing as a talent or skill innate to “creatives”, how might we see it as a tool for seeing and understanding the world better — one that just so happens to double as an art form?
Both absent-minded sketching and conscious creation have been shown to positively affect memory, learning, communication, mental wellness and visual perception. And also, it’s fun.
Pulse Check
How many of the following feel true for you?
I frequently find myself doodling or drawing while listening.
I can understand things better when I see them visually.
Sometimes I have to draw out my ideas to get them clear.
Scribbling makes me feel calm.
If any of the above resonate, you have already experienced of the power of drawing to think, and also thinking to draw.
Big Idea
Drawing is not just about art.
Drawing out ideas involves intellectual, creative and physical acts that recruit different neurological networks simultaneously.
In this way, if developed, drawing becomes a competency and a literacy that is universal. Just as we learn to read and write, we can also learn to draw as a means for mind building and idea sharing.
And while drawing in itself is learning, we infrequently incorporate drawing in schools beyond art classes in secondary schools. We propose we need to go back to the drawing board.
we share the wisdom of a co-creator:
“Drawing creates something from nothing, sparking the unique human capability for innovation. Drawing is a complex neurological process which recruits many areas of the brain, thus allowing full absorption of our minds, which is probably why art can be so therapeutic.” Dr. Juna Bobby, MD of MindBodySpace and Rx Chill Pill
Note: Drawing helps everyone. This is not an argument in support of learning styles. Research has clearly and fervently debunked this idea. Drawing taps into multiple modalities—visual, kinesthetic, and linguistic—which is more efficient than tapping into only one. When we draw something, we process it in different ways, learning it many times over.
We have been digging into evidence and practice, and share our collected (and collective) insights and sparks. We’d love to hear what this brings up for you.
1. Drawing Over Drilling
In The Surprisingly Powerful Influence of Drawing on Memory, researchers led by Dr. Myra Fernandes found that drawing improves memory.
Creating just a four-second drawing was superior to imagining the items or viewing pictures of the words. So when it comes time to study, it’s better to pull out a sketchbook and markers than a highlighter and notebook.
2. Drawing Breeds Clarity
Drawing helps us plan. Many surgeons are known to draw out a procedure before the surgery. Using sketches can aid planning in a way that words do not.
Drawing nourishes writing. Dr. Misty Adoniou has found that when we draw before engaging in complex writing tasks, we benefit .
Drawing helps reveal understandings. The Picturing to Learn project found that drawing out scientific ideas supported student clarity.
3. Drawing Focuses
In What Does Doodling Do?, Jackie Andrade reported that the act of free-form drawing itself increases our learning capacity. Drawing can engage the “default network” in our brains, helping avoid loss of focus when confronted with complex ideas and concepts.
Though we know daydreaming is necessary, there are times we need to stick with the present. Drawing helps.
4. Drawing Helps Us Really SEE
Cultivating drawing talent can become an essential tool to improve observational skills in fields where the visual is important. Some science teachers are reintroducing physical drawing in their biology courses. The reasoning is that actively deciding to draw helps people see the world better.
5. Mindfulness Comes Through Drawing
Drawing can be a way to think, and to process in real time.
Doodling, or drawing, stimulates blood flow to the front of the brain. Meaning that doodlers relax, forget their problems, and get all the low blood pressure associated with peace and wellbeing. Medical, psychological and educational studies continue to find that when we engage in creating art we can become more relaxed and peaceful — independent of our artistic skills.
6. Drawing Helps Connection
Drawing expands our connections.
"Anything that engages your creative mind — the ability to make connections between unrelated things and imagine new ways to communicate — is good for you," says Dr. Girija Kaimal. Dr. Kaimal is a professor at Drexel University and a researcher in art therapy, leading art sessions with those suffering from brain injury and cancer patients. She shares, “drawing is a way to connect the eye, the hand and the heart.”
If you have gotten here, and you’d be interested in a distant gathering on Drawing to Learn: the why, what and how…let us know at jane@Revolutionschool.org.
AND check out our upcoming Community of Thought gatherings.