I am not someone who can draw. I can do little stick people and that’s about it. During the early days of the pandemic, I was on a call when one of the speakers said something that spoke to me. I wrote it down (I’m a compulsive note-taker) and started doodling around it.

I found it relaxing and a useful way to record nuggets of information. Sometimes I filled in spaces with dots; sometimes I drew spirals; sometimes I just changed the colours. I still can’t draw a line (helpful hint: use a ruler!) but I now have a little stack of quotes and ideas filled with colour and random shapes. Engaging in creative play, even with simple materials like a pen or pencil and scrap paper, offers some respite in a busy day.
Yes! I’ve been doing a lot of workshops and training around NVC (non violent communication) lately and I have a swath of coloured pens in front of me for when I’m taking notes–so I can doodle around them and bring them alive on the page.