8 Reasons Why You Should Sketch

Nighthawks. Sketchsmiths.

I’m always getting asked why drawings and the act of drawing makes such a difference. For me whatever I’m doing and wherever I may be doing it – it’s major. And because I’ve been breaking bad I’ve thought a bit about it. Even did a sketch.

Worth saying up front that the quality of drawing is irrelevant to the power of what follows.

We’ve all witnessed the power of that childlike scrawl – a crayon on a table top in a meeting – napkin in the restaurant. It has a charm. Often the one iconic moment of breakthrough in a tough situation – destined to become part of folklore. “Ah – Jessie’s Hedgehog Drawing! – It’s been our strategy for years…” Forever immortalised.

Here’s the list of things – the reasons that sprang to my mind:

1. A Mental Work-Out – The act of drawing forces different parts of your mind and your body to work. This activity causes new patterns and ideas to form. That’s always good.
2. Rapid Idea Exchange – It’s a really really seriously fast way to get an idea across to someone and in a way that words often don’t seem capable of doing.
3. Seriously Engaging - I’ve not found a better medium to engage others by. At the end of a meeting when we sketch there is a significantly higher order of relationship. And later the recall of the meeting skyrockets.
4. Value Exchanged – A sketch is a transportable thing. These days even a smartphone capture – voice over next day or week – shared somehow still means major progress in whatever context.
5. Forming New Inventions – Even without an audience a sketch can help you structure those loosely formed ideas in your head. Even without any idea in your head at all – that blank sheet and a pencil or marker can fire up the imagination causing amazing ideas to emerge.
6. An Agreement Machine – Making a visual rather than text based ‘thing’ creates a far faster tool for agreement. Because people can see something they can agree or disagree far quicker. That allows for real progress.
7. Waste Disposal – Removing the clutter from all the idea is at the heart of what happens when you are forced to turn it into a sketch. This means that your sketch strips away everything that needing be there.
8. A Union Of Mankind – Creates a level playing field for a conversation that goes beyond the words – sketching seems primal and causes a more visceral attachment to the ideas.

Whether it’s aimless fun or serious application it’s a tool for countless applications. Dive in y’all.