Main Post from Christy: Some Interesting Points about Doodling and the Brain

 So, as I was considering / researching what I would write about in my main post, I was drawn to a TED talk that made some really fascinating arguments that were supported by research into topics directly related to this class. I really didn't know much about visual literacy before this class, although I had been taught a lot of similar stuff as an art major in undergrad. In the art department, we didn't hear terms like "visual literacy" to describe what we were learning to do in our studio classes, although it could be summarized as learning to see the world in a certain way and to then convey those feelings / perceptions / ideas to others visually. I'm intrigued as I see how aesthetic and design skills are so intertwined with the field of education, and I'm also excited to see that the term "visual literacy" is becoming more widely recognized. Doodling usually invokes stereotypes of artists or daydreamers, but should this activity be reserved for "those sorts of people"? Click the link below to watch a short video (about 6 minutes) about how doodling affects the way our brain processes and retains information.

Doodlers, unite!

In this video, Sunni Brown argues that doodling is not valued--and even often frowned upon--in our culture. This effect is even more strongly felt in the workplace, or in "settings in which we are supposed to learn something." She postulates that our culture may be "so intensely focused on verbal information that we are almost blinded to the.value of doodling," adding that it seems to be considered by many to be an "anti-intellectual" activity.

However, Sunni argues that there is a disconnect between society's perceptions of doodling and the reality of its value. She gives scientific support for the value of doodling to enhance retention of information and maintain mental focus. Perhaps the most fascinating part of this video for me was when she used a single slide to visually convey what she was verbally explaining (exemplifying her own lesson in practice; she explained that there are 4 ways that the brain makes sense of information to make deicions--visual, auditory, reading / writing, and kinesthetic. She points out that for humans to genuinely grasp new information, it must be presented through at least two of these modalities, or one modality that is combined with an emotional experience. She further argues that doodling engages all four modalities and also holds the potential to prompt an emotional experience.

With statistics like these, Sunni Brown has an excellent point: why does society view doodling as a childish (or even rude) activity? Perhaps the tendency of artists to doodle regularly is part of the reason they can unlock their inner creativity in the powerful ways conveyed through art. I love Sunni Brown's revised definition of doodling, which specifies that it is "to make spontaneous marks to help yourself think."

So I just wanted to share that interesting video, and ask what you all make of Brown's argument. How do you feel about doodling? Is it useful to you, especially in this class? Personally, I find doodling helpful but have a hard time compelling myself to do it, and I think this is because I am so detail-oriented. I have trouble letting go and letting my mind come up with crazy, good, and bad ideas all at once. I rationalize to myself that I will work harder on one or two ideas rather than brainstorming freely, and that this will save time. Does anyone else experience this? Does Brown's argument seem valid to you, from what you know of learning theories and from your own personal experience?