Drawing portraits of someone you don’t know and then having to show them, is an uncomfortable task. Add in drawing with your less dominant hand, then form memory and then eyes shut certainly get the grey matter churning and breaks the ice.

The idea behind this was to think different, use your mind in a different way; learn to look, see and remember accurately.

From left to right – Less Dominant, from memory, eyes closed.

Drawing with the less dominant hand was much more refreshing than I thought. I expected my hand to do its own thing, but I have actually created a recognisable piece. It felt easy to do.

Forcing the non-dominant hand to perform an unfamiliar task requires the brain to map new neural pathways. This aids neuroplasticity and increases ones creativity. (2, 3)

When you are more creative, design ideas flow easier. A brick is not just a brick, it can be anything you say it is.

I enjoyed this exercise so much I am going to implement it into my “Me-Sketching” routines. Anything to improve brain function is always a plus!

Drawing sound – Visualisations

You hear a noise and you want to remember the tune, but you cannot write music. How can you portray a quite staccato short pulse and then a big bang?

As designers we need to be able to translate our inspiration, our design ideas, our visions that are floating around in our minds, into a tangible form. We cannot build something we cannot explain to others.

If I think of a plant, I doubt it will be the same plant as the one you think of. Furthermore, if I have a design concept around a fish, it could be its gills, its scales, the food it eats, the fish stocks or any foods that contain fish. My swirl in my mind, will not be the same as yours. How can I get it down in a form that the viewer to understand?

This comes with time and practice, and learning my hand. The more I understand how I draw, and utilise materials (e.g. modals, painting, IT programs) then easier I can move and adapt my skill to portray my visions.

As always practice makes progress.

My Creativity Score

This was done via testmycreativity.com