#6 Emotional Doodles, part 3: Slow & Steady

12/03/21 • 9 min

Hey there!

This is our third and final episode in our series “Emotional Doodles” - drawing to alleviate anxiety. Reminder: UCSF Pediatrician and friend of DrawTogether, Dr. Lee Atkinson-McEvoy, shared that she’s seeing unprecedented levels of anxiety in kids and asked if DrawTogether could help. So we’re doing a few short, simple, fun drawing podcast exercises here on the podcast that can help reduce anxiety in a big way. You can do them on your own, with family members or friends, or with an entire classroom.

The first episode explored how drawing varying types of abstract marks can help us identify feelings, and scribble them out of our bodies and onto the page. The second episode used drawing to focus our attention on things we’re grateful for, which studies show helps reduce anxiety and depression. And TODAY, we do a simple and powerful doodling exercise that I do all the time. Let’s call it LINES. It’s simple, powerful meditative drawing exercise. After a few minutes you feel more calm, less anxious, and you end up with a pretty cool drawing.

So grab a pen and a piece of paper and press play. It’s less than 10 minutes. :)

And COMMENTS! Friends! I heart feedback! Your input helps me know what is and isn’t working. Are these too long? Too short? Too literal? Too abstract? Easy to follow? This is one big experiment, so please take a moment and leave a comment or shoot me a message. I so, so appreciate it. Thank you!

And thanks Chris Colin for the DT Podcast drawing music, Amy Standen for the edit, and Thao Nguyen for the DT theme song.

See you next week with a very different kind of drawing direction.

xoxo,w

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe

Hey there!

So grab a pen and a piece of paper and press play. It’s less than 10 minutes. :)

And thanks Chris Colin for the DT Podcast drawing music, Amy Standen for the edit, and Thao Nguyen for the DT theme song.

See you next week with a very different kind of drawing direction.

xoxo,w

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe

Previous Episode

#5 Emotional Doodles, part 2: Gratitude

Hey hey! Belated happy day of thankfulness. Our regular Friday email got bumped for our fundraiser to give DT art kits to kids*, so I’m extra happy to DrawTogether with you on a Sunday. Feels like a special occasion.

Today we’re continuing with our 3 part series “Emotional Doodles” - drawing to reduce anxiety in kids (of all ages.) Last week, we used drawing to help identify feelings and move them out of our bodies and onto the page. This week, in the timely spirit of giving thanks, we use drawing to identify and focus on things we’re grateful for. Press PLAY above for an 8 minute drawing that will change your perspective.

Studies show a “gratitude practice” reduces anxiety and depression, strengthens relationships, improves mental health and minimizes stress in the short and long term. Regularly focusing on what we’re grateful for literally changes the way we experience the world. Drawing is an easy and fun way for kids (of all ages) to begin a practice. You can do today’s DT podcast on your own, like visual journaling - or together as a family or classroom. And as always, drawing like this is a great starting point for a deeper conversation.

After you’re done, if your kiddo wants to share their drawings, I’d love to see it. Post a photo of it Instagram and tag @drawtogether.studio. Also, I’d love to hear from you: How are these podcasts are working for you? What do you want more or less of? Longer or shorter? We’re only 5 episodes in, and have some fun ideas and plans, and I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts - please post in the comments below.

Grateful for you.

xo,w

*Thank you so so much to everyone generously supporting this effort to give life-changing art kits to kids in classrooms across the USA! We are so excited and proud to be in such good cahoots with YOU! <3 <3

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe

Next Episode

#7 Most Fun Drawing Exercise Ever: The Blindfold!

Hello! NEW DRAWTOGETHER PODCAST IS HERE. This is perhaps the silliest drawing exercise to have ever appeared on any drawing podcast, ever. (Yes, I know, the DT podcast is the *only* drawing podcast. Still.) I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so if you’re playing the audio for a kid/family/classroom, keep this on the DL...

We’re doing Blindfold Drawing. It’s fun, magical, and hilarious - and contains serious art lessons. All you need is paper, a pencil, and a mask - and then press PLAY above.

Blindfold drawing makes us rely on our minds and movement to create an image. It removes the option to “get it right” or “do a good drawing” based on our limited visual expectations. I have a hunch you’ll be surprised by how specific your memories/mind-images are when you use your hands to imagine and remember. (Remember, not everyone thinks in pictures. There’s no “right” or “better” way for our minds to work.) And, when we do them multiple times, our drawings evolve. We slow down. Let go of expectations. Our hand/mind coordination improve.

Here are my blindfolded drawn snow people:

Look at the change from Number 1 to Number 4!!! Okay, maybe i’m the only one who gets giddy about this stuff, but it’s such a great example of how we build muscles through removing limiting expectations, slowing down, and practicing. The podcast is short today with some bonus drawing suggestions at the end. Have fun!

And! A reminder that we’re doing a GoFundMe to send DrawTogether Art Kits to kids around the US who don’t have quality art supplies in their classrooms. We’re half way to our goal, so if you can contribute a few bucks to support a kid, please do! AND! If you want to support THIS podcast/newsletter - AKA world’s first and only drawing podcast - please subscribe:

Number Four thanks you.

xoxo,

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe