Jessica Crabtree

Many a budding talent was first discovered in the cluttered margins of notebook pages, dating all the way back to Da Vinci. While absent-minded scribbling may not be a fine art in itself, it’s a habit common to most people – even those without artistic leanings.

Most of us doodle without ever knowing exactly why. Some of us are more modest sketchers who use the doodle as a mnemonic device, while others are quite prolific scribblers, leaving no margin unadorned and no available space free of often meaningless graffiti.

There are lots of cheesy personality quizzes floating around the internet purporting to interpret our random doodles, and extensive psychological analysis (some bordering on pseudo-science). But there is hard evidence that doodling can actually promote mental acuity and enhance memory by visual association. And as it turns out, there is a definite pattern of consistency between certain kinds of doodles and the people who make them.

As with most trivia, it’s partly obvious and partly thought-provoking. Before you read ahead, grab a stray notebook, or an old phone pad, and make a mental note (no pun intended) of the kinds of doodles you find there – and see what category of common scribblers you fall under.

OODLES OF DOODLES (continue reading…)