What is DoodleSpeak?
My fascination with the magical powers of art began decades ago with Dr. Bernie Siegel's groundbreaking book, "Love, Medicine and Miracles." He would ask his cancer patients to make pictures of their disease/condition, and through the pictures, he would be able to tell who was going to survive and who would not. He noted, "when we communicate in visual images, we tell the truth because we can't manipulate language."
Anne Basting, an arts writer, more recently said it better. "The arts are a symbolic and emotional communication system that don't rely on linear memory or rational language. Rather, the arts engage our intuition and imagination." Movement, sounds patterns, colors, textures, smells, touch, play, are all easy, safe, accessible means of expression that can lead us to our innermost truths. Even something as simple as doodling has proven to have major benefits:
It helps us concentrate.
It keeps us in the present moment, naturally integrates mind, body, spirit.
It allows us to decompress, "loosen" our stressed "monkey brains."
It allows for "subconscious incubation," thus allowing us to generate new ideas, solutions.
It improves psychological resilience, makes us happier.
It provides a distraction from outside influences.
And, it actually helps our gray matter grow ! (The brain is always looking for its buddy the hand !)
Using only geometric shapes and three favorite colors, we can communicate a lot. Each shape, color, and placement holds meaning. DoodleSpeak is a simple vehicle with surprising, sometimes evolutionary results. Most importantly, the doodler discovers they have a reliable, constant, inner GPS, that wants to communicate and guide.
Funny, TELLING, story~
A few years ago, a Girl Scout leader asked me to facilitate a Doodlespeak session on a mother-daughter night. They were meeting in an elementary school art room. After I gave the instructions, one of the mothers was clearly skeptical, resistant. Avoiding eye contact, speaking in a low, dismissive tone, she said, “Oh… I’m not feeling that well. I think I’d rather not participate.”
Her daughter whined, “Noooo… I want to ! PUH-leeese, Mom ?!”
Embarrassed, Mom rolled her eyes, caved.
So I played some soft instrumental music, stepped away and let them play. When they looked complete, I asked them to hold up their pictures so everyone could see. In the past - especially with teen girls - the participants loved to guess the meaning of the doodles.
When the skeptical mother held up hers, the group erupted in laughter.
She was dumbfounded, embarrassed AGAIN.
“What ?!” She demanded, her face coloring. “What’s so funny ?”
Her daughter explained.
“You made a picture of your SPINE ! Look ! Right down the middle of the paper - all those little triangles - look just like vertebrates ! And look, where you say it hurts the most, is RED ! Your body knows ! You did it !”
She looked at me with stunned disbelief.
I just smiled and shrugged.
Doodling: not just silly scribbles…
Some examples of DoodleSpeak are below.
