This past May, I wrote an article on flower doodling. This month, I’m introducing you to geometric doodles, a great way to add another dimension to your repertoire and to flex your doodling muscles. Though you might be tempted to use a ruler to get those perfectly straight edges on squares, triangles, and rectangles, I would urge you not to. The point of this practice is to go with the flow and not get too much into your head. It’s about relaxing and letting go.
According to an article in Forbes magazine, doodling isn’t always linear. It’s defined as an aimless sketch, design or scribble, often created while doing something else. Its appeal is that the result doesn’t have to be perfect or fit a certain ideal. We all know that stress is unhealthy at any age, but doodling is like natural medicine that can help to alleviate stress’s harmful effects.
As quoted in the Forbes article, Harvard cardiologist Herbert Benson said, “The rhythmic and repetitive motion of drawing elicits what is identified as the relaxation response. By synchronizing the hand and eye – thereby allowing the coordination of body and mind – doodling can become a calming and meditative experience.”
Let’s Doodle Using Geometric Shapes
First consider doodling easy and popular geometric shapes. I recommend starting with squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles. Mix and match and enjoy the process.
Collect Your Tools
- Unlined paper, such as copy paper or an unlined journal
- Ink pen, fine marker, pencil, or colored pencils
- A relaxing music playlist, water sounds, ASMR or silence
Start with These Steps
Draw a medium sized square in the middle of your page.
Draw a triangle at the top of the square so it resembles a house.
Draw five small circles next to the square.
Add three triangles.
Add a rectangle.
Continue on your own with no fixed goal in mind.
A Sensory Experience
When you’re ready to expand beyond this exercise, remember to vary geometric shapes and sizes. Focus on the feeling of putting pen to paper and deepening your breath to help relax your nervous system. Try to stay present with the process. All these actions should help enhance your experience. Find your groove and let the doodles flow.
Bonus Step
Try this geometric doodling practice with colored pencils or fine colored markers. Create your own fun colorful geometric doodles – the sky’s the limit. Anything is possible when you color your world.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Have you tried geometric doodling? Did you try using colored pencils or markers? What do you enjoy doodling? Will you doodle more often in the future, if so, why?
