Next-Level Doodling

So many of us abandon drawing after elementary school when we start to feel self conscious. We might get frustrated drawing hands or a symmetric face. Or maybe we were told by an adult that good drawing is realistic drawing which seems quite hard. This unit helps us recover the joy and freedom we felt as a child when we made marks on a page without judgement.

We get back to basics — scribbling, doodling and creating marks that repeat to form patterns. As we jump in we talk about what it means to have a creative process. How do we draw without judgement? How do we stick with a project to see what happens? How can we make room for creative experiences? How can we make our space comfortable? Create a playlist? Take breaks to stretch?

After warming up and discussing process we begin a larger drawing that takes shape over several days. For inspiration we draw from our imaginations and look to motifs across cultures. Students reference the graphic languages of their own heritage: Celtic knot work, henna motifs from India, wood carvings from Norway. They’re encouraged to challenge themselves by drawing something they didn’t think they could draw, such as a woven or dimensional motif with cast shadows.