|
The Artist in Us All, by Miles Trout, Dallastown
By definition, to doodle is “to draw or scribble idly” according to dictionary.com.
Students who doodle don’t realize that what they scribble on the backs of tests and in the margins of notes tell a lot about them.
“I used to fill the margins of my school notebooks with caricatures of my friends and teachers,” said art teacher Mrs. Bell “I still managed to take notes, participate in class discussions, and get good grades.”
Most shapes are not difficult to interpret in a doodle.
Drawsketch.about.com says hearts, for instance, represent either love, or a lack of it. Houses represent homesickness, or a will to belong. Guns or swords often represent aggression. Those motivated by self-growth or future fame typically draw tiny stars or moons.
However, not all doodles are so easily interpreted.
Bright things such as suns or light bulbs often represent happiness or a child-like disposition in the artist.
Truly idle students often think of far away places. If the waves of an ocean slide from a pencil tip as a doodle, the artist is probably mentally relaxing on a far away beach with the sand and sun according to ehow.com.
“We are just not meant to sit for long periods of inactivity,” Bell continued, “Doodling is often perceived as a person not paying attention… in my opinion, doodling keeps us focused, grounded, and alert.”
Male doodlers don’t often find themselves shimmying flowers onto their tests or textbooks. Flowers are interpreted as very feminine symbols, often representing learning or spiritual enlightenment.
Less artistic students often go with the classic Stick Figures. Deep thoughts often go towards the actions of stick figures-therefore, they are usually considered art.
“I doodle things like big battles with photon cannons and stick people,” said senior Kyle Strous.
The actions of the stick figures speak for themselves: fighting stick figures represent anger; talking stick figures represent impatience, that sort of thing.
Simple dots or lines are doodles in their own right. Zigzags tell the viewer that the artist needs help, or that they have just learned a harsh reality. Sporadic dots obviously represent chaos or lack of focus.
None of these doodles represent what appears on your test? Abstract shapes or squiggly lines often are simply distractions where ones mind is taking a break.
“I doodle abstract numbers and letters. They usually turn out pretty cool,” said senior Julia Jackson.
The placement of doodles on a page plays a part in the absence of one’s thoughts.
Doodling to the left means nostalgia or regret; to the right lays the need to communicate, though few people start with their doodles there. Independent thinkers often start at the top, while the “sheep” stick their doodles towards the bottom. Central doodles in the spot light love their attention.
“I have got some students who doodle on everything,” said English teacher Miss Gable. “Some of them are really good! I am always surprised by some of the crazy things they come up with when they are finished their tests”
Celebrities and average people alike all doodle from time to time.
Doodles from celebrities like Chef Ainsley Harriott and talk show host Ellen Degeneres are just a few that have been auctioned off on National Doodle Day each March.
Each year celebrities donate their doodles to help people with Epilepsy and Neurofibromatosis. To see some of these doodles, check out nationaldoodleday.org
Featured Article #3: Will Obama’s Speech Make A Difference? By Alex Anstett, Hempfield start reading >>
|
