Ever found yourself staring at a blank margin during a long Zoom call? You’re not alone. We’ve all been there—pen in hand, mind wandering, just waiting for a spark. Most people think doodling is just a sign of boredom, but it’s actually a sophisticated cognitive tool. Sunni Brown, author of The Doodle Revolution, argues that doodling is a way of "processing information and solving problems." It's not just scribbling; it's thinking in disguise.
Finding easy things to doodle isn't about becoming a Renaissance master by lunchtime. It’s about lowering the barrier to entry so your hand stays moving while your brain does the heavy lifting. If you make it too hard, you get frustrated. If you keep it simple, you enter a "flow state."
The Geometry of the Aimless Pen
Start with the basics. Honestly, most people overcomplicate this. You don't need to draw a portrait of your cat. Look at the square. Now, put a square inside that square. Keep going until you have a nesting doll of squares.
Triangles work just as well. If you stack them, they start looking like mountains or some weird 80s synth-wave album cover. The beauty of geometric shapes is that they require zero artistic talent but offer infinite complexity. You can shade one side of a cube to give it depth, or just cross-hatch the background until the paper looks like textured fabric.
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Varying your line weight helps too. Use a thick marker for the outlines and a fine-liner for the tiny details inside. This contrast makes even a simple circle look like a planet or a cell under a microscope.
Nature on the Margin
Plants are forgiving. That’s the secret. If a leaf is a little wonky, it just looks "organic." To keep things in the realm of easy things to doodle, try the "vine" method. Draw a long, curvy line across the page. Now, add little teardrop shapes every inch or so. Boom. You have a botanical illustration.
Sunflowers are another great entry point. Start with a circle full of dots—those are the seeds. Then, surround it with messy, overlapping U-shapes for petals. Don’t try to make them perfect. Real flowers aren't perfect. They’re chaotic.
- Succulents: Just draw a bunch of overlapping pebbles.
- Clouds: Loopy, connected semi-circles with a flat bottom.
- Pine trees: One vertical line and a bunch of downward-sloping "V" marks.
The Psychology of Why We Scribble
There’s this misconception that doodling means you aren't paying attention. Science says otherwise. A 2009 study by Professor Jackie Andrade at the University of Plymouth found that people who doodled while listening to a boring phone message recalled 29% more information than those who didn't.
Why? Because doodling keeps the brain from daydreaming. Daydreaming is a high-energy activity that pulls you away from the task at hand. Doodling, however, is a low-energy "background task" that keeps your motor cortex engaged without hijacking your conscious thought. It’s like keeping a car idling so it doesn't stall.
Everyday Objects with a Twist
Sometimes the most easy things to doodle are sitting right in front of you. Look at your coffee mug. It’s just a cylinder with a handle. Draw it. Now, draw steam coming out of it. But instead of wavy lines, make the steam out of little stars or musical notes.
Food is surprisingly fun to draw because it’s mostly basic shapes. A pizza slice is a triangle. A donut is two circles. A taco is a semi-circle with some squiggles for lettuce. When you break the world down into these primitive shapes, the "I can't draw" excuse evaporates.
Mastering the Abstract "Zentangle" Vibe
You might have heard of Zentangles. It’s a branded way of saying "structured doodling." The idea is to divide a space into "strings" and fill each section with a repetitive pattern.
Try this: Draw a big, messy squiggle that loops over itself five or six times. Now you have several closed loops. Fill one with dots. Fill the next with parallel lines. Fill the third with tiny checkerboards. By the time you finish, you’ve created something that looks incredibly intricate, even though each individual step was dead simple.
Why Your Choice of Pen Matters
You can’t doodle with a scratchy, dying ballpoint. It kills the joy. You want something that glides. Most enthusiasts swear by the Uni-ball Signo or a Sakura Pigma Micron. These pens use archival ink that doesn't bleed, which is great if you’re doodling in a nice journal.
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But honestly? A Sharpie on a napkin is sometimes where the best ideas happen. The lack of "preciousness" about the materials allows you to take risks. If the paper is expensive, you get "blank page syndrome." If it's a post-it note, you’re free.
The Power of Faces (and How to Not Mess Them Up)
People are usually intimidated by faces. Don't be. Forget anatomy. Focus on "emojis." Two dots for eyes and a curved line for a mouth can convey an insane amount of emotion.
- The Grumpy Cloud: Draw a cloud, but give it heavy eyebrows and a frown.
- The Surprised Lightbulb: A bulb shape with wide circles for eyes and a small "O" for a mouth.
- The Coffee Monster: A mug with eyes peeking over the rim.
Taking it to the Next Level: Actionable Steps
Doodling shouldn't feel like a chore. It should be a tool you pull out when you feel your focus slipping or your stress levels rising. If you want to make this a habit that actually improves your cognitive retention and creativity, follow these steps:
Keep a "Doodle Kit" nearby. This isn't a whole art studio. It’s literally just one pen you love and a small pad of unlined paper. Keep it right next to your keyboard or in your bag. If it's not accessible, you won't do it.
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Start with "Anchor Shapes." Whenever you’re stuck, draw three circles of different sizes. This gives your hand a starting point. From there, you can turn them into a snowman, a solar system, or just fill them with different textures.
Embrace the Mistakes. The biggest barrier to easy things to doodle is the desire for it to look "good." Doodles aren't for an art gallery. They are for your brain. If a line goes wonky, make it part of the pattern. Turn a smudge into a shadow.
Limit Your Time. Sometimes, give yourself exactly two minutes to fill a small square. This "sprint" mentality stops you from overthinking and forces your subconscious to take over.
Doodle while listening. Next time you’re on a podcast or a lecture, don't just sit there. Let your pen move. Compare how much you remember from that session versus one where you just sat still. You might be surprised to find that your "scribbles" are actually a map of the conversation you were having.