“I wish I could I draw, but i’m rubbish!”…5 benefits of drawing you may not have thought of.
The power of drawing
“I wish I could I draw, but i’m rubbish!”
“My drawings were so bad at school, my teacher told me to never draw again!”
“I don’t have time to draw”
We all have a conflict with drawing at some point or another, whether its our career choice or a hobby. But studies show some amazing benefits of drawing, even if you’re not an artist. Here are some of my favourites:
Improve Your Creativity - This one is for everyone. Creativity is important for all areas of life, it helps us to think outside the box when we problem solve. I great technique for this is draw the same subject but in different ways or using different materials, this will enhance creativity.
Empowers self-confidence - Of course it does, the more we learn and get better at something the better we feel in having a sense of achievement.
Helps to improve communication skills - Through drawing we can communicate anything. How we’re feeling, when something good happens or when something sad happens. Drawing is healthy way of expressing emotion too.
It enhances memory - We may think we’re drawing from life, but as soon as your eyes leave the thing you’re drawing you are forced to remember what you’ve seen. It’s a split second and some might not even notice it, but this helps build the memory muscle.
It helps release stress - ‘drawing for at least 45 minutes lowers cortisol levels effectively. Cortisol is a naturally occurring hormone in the body. It is a stress alarm that helps the brain stay alert during fight or flight situations.’ (**Joseph Gaviola, 2022)** How mad is that! After a stressful day, I always feel better after a scribble.
BONUS BENEFIT - Become More Observant - I have noticed over the years, the more I draw the more observant in other areas of my life I become. Have you ever sat in a cafe and people watched, or walked down the street and looked up at a building. You start to notice things in everyday life a little more detail and drawing more often can help this skill.