12 benefits of drawing

07 Mar 2017 03:03 AM By mandar.marathe

There are many benefits of drawing. And they aren't only for artists.

Here are the top 12 benefits that drawing brings to you.

1. It is fun!

Drawing is fun! When something is fun, it gets done more often. Just like learning any activity, there is a learning curve for drawing too. But, drawing is a learnable skill. Once you learn to draw even fairly ok, you will enjoy the process of drawing and who doesn't like fun? I'm sure you do.

Added benefit is that your friends. colleagues or relatives around you also have fun as you draw. Drawing has the ability to bring people together and those who can't draw start seeing you with more respect!

2. Builds our decision-making ability

We make a lot of decisions consciously and unconsciously when we are drawing. Some of them are, what to draw, what to leave out, how hard should we press the pencil, at what angle do we draw this line, which part of the drawing should be drawn first, which area of drawing needs to be emphasized more and so on. This builds our decision making capability by the sheer practice of it. This improved decision-making ability helps us in other aspects of our life.

3. Helps solve problems

Once we draw different aspects of a problem on paper we see the contributing factors more clearly. The interconnections between the factors, their context, their relative importance and the scope of the problem become more evident. All this information that was hidden earlier comes to fore and we can take better-informed decisions. Who said drawing is only for visual artists? After all, problem solving is also an art!

4. Helps you to remember better

Multiple scientific studies have proved that when we draw or doodle anything, we remember those things better. A major reason behind this is that to draw, we need to synthesize the information that we see and create a drawing that represents the information. This process sort of embeds the information and creates more connections and associations in our brain. These associations help us remember things better.

Next time when you go sight seeing, make a drawing of things you see. You'll appreciate those things even more and will remember the whole ambience (sounds, smells, weather) when you see this drawing after a few years. This is sort of reliving the experience!

5. Develops observation skill

It is said that a good drawing is a faithful copy of the subject. Observation is the foundation of drawing. To improve your observation skill, you must practice it and drawing makes you practice it. Every normal human being can make a mark with a pencil on a paper but not everybody can draw well. The difference between them is their ability to observe.

This improved observation skill surely helps you in your day-to-day life and also your profession.

6. Boosts self-esteem

Wouldn't you feel more confident and good about yourself if you are able to draw well? This feeling boosts self-esteem. The more you draw, the better you get and higher is your self-esteem.

7. Reduces stress

Therapeutic benefits of art are well known. When you get engrossed in drawing activity, you get temporarily cut off from outside world and get in the state of 'zen'. It is like active meditation and this helps in reducing stress.

8. Develops the whole brain

Drawing is a right brain activity. Subjects like math, science and languages are mainly the functions of left brain. We learn a lot about them in our formal education system. Creativity, imagination, art and holistic thinking are mainly the domain of right brain. As with any muscle that gets stronger with use, the right brain also gets stronger due to the activity of drawing.

9. Develops focus

Drawing requires extended periods of concentrated work. This practice builds our ability to focus on an activity. Focus is extremely important for meaningful progress and success in any activity. This ability is rare but a must-have in this fast paced world filled with constant distractions.

10. Helps you grow professionally

If you can draw well, you can communicate visually and more effectively. You will grab and keep the viewer's attention longer. Longer attention to what you are saying means you have a better chance of convincing your point to your audience. Isn't that all marketing campaigns trying to do?

11. It is a universal language

Irrespective of what language they speak, all human beings recognize drawings. In fact, illiterate people also understand the language of drawings. Visual language is easier to understand. That's the reason you see symbols or icons on mobile phones. Imagine a mobile device or a computer application without icons!

So, to communicate more effectively, use drawings!

12. Drawing is human

Every child draws. Our job is just to continue or relearn to draw because it is our nature. Self-expression is a human need and drawing is an easy way to do that.

If you are an artist or want to be one, drawing improves your paintings and even sculptures! So, draw, draw and draw some more!

I am sure everyone wants to have more fun, communicate more effectively, take better decisions, be more focused, get better results professionally and feel more human. So, drawing is good for everyone.

Few last points that I want to emphasise here are :

Material: Drawing needs very little and easily available materials. Cave men or women who drew on cave walls used just some stones and the cave walls to draw. We all are much better equipped than them. If you don't have a pencil, draw with a pen. If you don't have good drawing paper, use old newspapers.

Place: You can draw at your desk, on the bus, while waiting for someone, on lunch table, in your bed or anywhere else where you can stand or sit still.

Time: This is a big one! I know you are busy but can you sit just 10 more minutes at your lunch table or spare 10 minutes before you go to sleep or at your morning tea/coffee? I am sure you can find those 10 minutes in your day.

Now I'll tell you about the courses I have developed on learning to draw, drawing exercises and developing a daily drawing practice.

1. To Learn drawing basics, perspective, measuring, drawing techniques and accuracy checking techniques, join this class "Drawing Mastery : From Basics to Advanced Techniques"

2. Do these 5 exercises to practice drawing more effectively! Join the course "Exercises to improve your drawing skill"

3. If you want to get 30 simple drawing prompts and demos to improve drawing skills by drawing every day, "Start Your Daily Drawing Practice" is the class for you.

So, get drawing!

-Mandar