How do you doodle?

I'm going to try to make this quick since I'm sort of in the middle of work things. That, of course, means that it won't be quick.

What you're looking at in today's pointless scan (ha! You thought I was going to say photo, didn't you?) is a page from the small moleskine sketchbook that travels in my purse. I was manning a booth at some event or other (can't even remember what, now), and there were long periods of nothing. Nothing isn't good for those of use with short attention spans, so I got out the sketchbook. I did do a couple of actual sketches which you're not seeing here, but after a while my brain went into pattern mode, which is a pretty normal tendency for Yours OLFly. The result is what you see here. And if you're thinking it's suggestive of of anything, well, that says more about your brain than mine. I was just making random shapes and filling them with checked patterns.

In case you're wondering, the inclusion of the ribbon in the scan was entirely deliberate. Now it's black and white and red all over...

Anyway.

The reason you're seeing this particular pointless pattern is because of this article about the value of doodling. It's worth a read. And you should also check out this link, which is from the bottom of the first one. Doodles by famous authors. It's pretty cool.

So, ok. Doodling's a good thing. But is it a good thing that if I'm doodling-doodling as opposed to sketching-doodling, it's almost always a pattern of some sort? It's been that way my entire life, really. My old grade school binders didn't have cats and flowers and possible boyfriends' names in them; they had patterns. Often the same patterns show up again and again. One you see above (this is the front inside cover of the same sketchbook. I was trying to make sure it was already "wrecked" before I started it. Otherwise I try to keep things too pretty. And the date? Well, I go through on and off periods with sketchbooks, so this one's been on the go for a bit. It's almost done, though. And if you wondered, I am, indeed, a doofus). One I've called The Brain because that's sort of what it ends up looking like. You've already see the checks; there's also a whole series of branching patterns where I set myself up some general branching rules beforehand and then see what comes of it.

I'm... kind of weird? Well hey, there's no surprise.

No grand conclusion's coming out of this, by the way. It was just a question I had. And if what you see here gives you more of an insight into my psychology, well then... um... good? Or bad, I don't know. After all, I am, in fact, a self-professed doofus.

----------

Congrats to today's medallists. I was able to see most of the trampoline competition before I left for work (including our gold medallist, who absolutely deserved it), but I'll have to watch the medal ceremony replay when I get home.

Which I have the option of. I don't know how you American fans can possibly put up with the NBC mess you've got on your hands. Here in Canada we're getting nearly twenty-four hour coverage, and on several channels. The live stuff's been keeping me great company on those sleepless nights (much better today, thanks). I'm almost glad for the difference in time zones, as inconvenient as it's making it for everyone else in North America.



Well? What other attitude would you expect from a sleepless doofus?