Did you know that National Scribble Day takes place on March 27th? Personally, I am delighted that a day is devoted to scribbling. I find that my brain relaxes whenever I scribble or doodle, and I do think that my creative process is energized through this unstructured activity. Does a doodle a day keep the brain-drain away? I like to think so.
Can scribbling and doodling lead to more artistic tendencies? Absolutely! After all, today’s doodler could be tomorrow’s Leonard da Vinci; and one way to find out if you possess the soul and talent of an artist is to check out some books about drawing.
Because the joy of drawing has no age limit I am recommending titles for kids and grownups in today’s reading list. Drawing can be a fun family activity to do together, so get out those pens and pencils and let the creativity flow!
“The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.” — Neil Gaiman
“Art Lab for Kids — Express Yourself! : 52 Creative Adventures to Find Yourself Through Drawing, Painting, Mixed Media & Sculpture” by Susan Schwake.
“Draw Every Little Thing: Learn to Draw More Than 100 Everyday Items, from Food to Fashion” by Flora Waycott.
“Draw Your Own Alphabets: Thirty Fonts to Scribble, Sketch, & Make Your Own” by Tony Seddon.
“Drawing is for Everyone: Simple Lessons to Make Your Creative Practice a Daily Habit” by Kateri Ewing.
“How to Draw Almost Everything for Kids: An Illustrated Sourcebook” by Nao Sakamoto.
“Super Simple Cartooning for Kids: Do You Ever Scribble Pictures in the Margins of Your Notebook?” written and illustrated by Rosa M. Curto.
Jan Johnston is the collection development coordinator for the Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries. Email her at readingforfun@fvrl.org.
