How to Draw for Better Memory and Greater Creativity
A beginner’s guide
Drawing is a form of expression. Too often people decide they can’t draw because of some traumatic event in their childhood. Usually an art teacher, sometimes a parent, says that the child’s drawing sucks and the child has no talent. Maybe the teacher says, “flowers don’t have faces or smiles.” Maybe the parent doesn’t understand the difference between a worm or a snake. It may also be related to making a living; the starving artist is a stereotype for a reason. It’s hard to make money through any kind of art. Whatever the reason, people move from drawing with joy and abandon to believing they can’t draw at all. I’m here to tell you that’s nonsense. You can draw.
Keep It Simple, Smarty
You’re drawing doesn’t have to be detailed, and depending on your objective, other people may not need to understand what it is. Simplicity is actually better for many reasons. Mickey Mouse is basically three circles. Sally Brown is a shorter version of Charlie Brown but with hair. For those interested in graphic design, the Google search page is the Google doodle, a search bar and a bunch of blank, white space. If you think of keeping your drawing simple and not worrying about perfection it gets easier to draw.
The Shape of Drawings
Anything you want to draw can be broken down into the following: lines, circles, triangles, rectangles, diamonds (which is a square on its corner), stick figures, and clouds. If you can draw these shapes, you can draw anything. Try it now. Draw each of the shapes. You don’t need a ruler, and they don’t have to be perfect. If you want a better straight line, watch the video below.
Build Your Confidence
When you realize that you can draw, you will gain confidence to do things that are further outside what you may have tried before. Knowing that you can draw is the beginning of being able to engage your entire brain in your life and how you live it. When you realize how simple it is to overcome your fear through belief in yourself, your confidence grows, and believing in yourself is the first step to becoming more creative.
Build Your Memory
According to Graham Shaw, drawing is the key to remembering better. People who drew lists rather than wrote or visualized the words remembered what was on the list better. Don’t believe it works? Grab a pen and two sheets of paper and try it for yourself.
When you’re able to remember more, you can draw on those memories for creativity. Because creativity happens at the intersection of two subjects, its important to be able to draw upon memory rather than rely on the Internet for looking up information. You can’t combine those pieces of information that you haven’t learned. When they are in your head, they are likely to come together in unusual and surprising ways.
