To doodle or not to doodle . . .

Did you know that doodling is good for you? Did you know that it benefits your brain, and can help increase your memory, productivity, and your focus? Do you need to find an answer to something? Doodling can help you with problem solving. Or, are you stressed out, worried, and anxious? Doodling can help your mind find some peace and calm. So, if you are still contemplating whether to, "doodle or not to doodle," there is NO question. The answer should be YES!! Need more proof? Well, here is it is. The following articles show more in-depth research about the benefits of doodling. This article, "How Doodling Benefits Your Brain," sites a few examples of how it can help you retain information as well as deal with stress. This particular article, "The Benefits of Doodling," includes a short video which gives a brief explanation of the history of the term "doodle," as well as discusses some of the research findings and benefits to doodling. So. . . it's all good news, right? But wait, there's more, because virtually anyone can do it! Doodling can be anything from making simple marks, like lines, shapes, or words, to more specific things like, plants, animals, or random objects. You do not need to excel at drawing to make doodles. And with technology, now you can even doodle digitally(if you prefer this method rather than traditional paper), using a screen and your finger or a stylus pen. There are even some folks out there who have become famous artists with their doodling! Most notably, Mr. Doodle, a.k.a--Sam Cox, whose artwork, Spring, sold for almost 1 million US dollars! There are other doodle artists who have made a name for themselves in the art world as well, including a young boy. This article tells you a bit about the top 20 doodle artists. So, if reading this has given you the desire to create some of your own doodle artwork, here are a few places you can start. If you would like to find some doodling books that are all ready to go for you, here is a great list of options. The online website, Doodle Lovely, created by Melissa Lloyd, is a great source of inspiration, and there are even a few doodling videos to try for free on her YouTube channel. You can also download some pre-made doodle pages from this article, "5 Ways Doodling Can Improve Your Life." Just scroll to the bottom and print. Then get a pencil or marker, and give doodling a try--I'm sure you can "doodle" it!