When you are in a meeting at the office, you can always look around and see that people have paper and pen in hand scribbling as other people are talking. One would assume that they are taking notes, and often that is the case. When you work in an animation studio, however, the scribbles are very likely doodles – doodles that usually have nothing to do with the topic at hand.
I first started doing this years ago. I used to sit in meetings, and would have trouble keeping my eyes open. In order to stay alert, I would let my hand wander on a blank piece of paper before me. Sure, I’d sketch something now and then that had to do with the meeting at hand, but this was my way of staying alert.
I know what you are thinking, “How can you pay attention to a meeting when you are drawing something else entirely?” Beats me. It’s something I discovered I could do back in high school. I would be doodling away on my notepaper, and yet when a teacher would call on me, I’d be ready with the correct answer. If my hand is silent, my mind tunes out.
So, all you really need is a ball point pen and a pad of Post-It notes. Then, let the parade of the imagination come forth! Here are a few such doodles that spilled from my hand in a recent meeting.
