I like to doodle whenever I get stuck in a painfully boring meeting or am stressed with a deadline. It’s a calming therapy that staves off anxiety and keeps me from over-thinking.
Until recently, when doodling during emotional turmoil created problems of its own. My limited artistic ability means my doodles have always featured flowers, the sun and potted plants, but recently I’ve been asking myself, why can’t I draw something else?
I have found the solution in books published by Chronicle Books, which I call the “things to draw” series. There are three titles available online and at bookstores including ‘642 Things to Draw’, ‘712 More Things to Draw’ and ‘642 Fashion Things to Draw’.
These books are filled with hints telling you what to draw and blank spaces in which to try them out.
Because I have been a compulsive doodler for as long as I can remember, at first, reading these books felt like homework. So I thought it would be easier to buy a regular drawing book or a Moleskine instead and fill it with new drawings. But boy, was I wrong.
Since I’m a bit of a fashionista, I chose the ‘642 Fashion Things to Draw’ from the series. I wasn’t expecting it to be fun; rather I hoped that the book could help me expand my drawing repertoire and keep me from growing bored of drawing the same thing over and over again. Turns out, the book did more than just that – it became an addiction.
You’ll feel compelled to fill it up and you can’t stop before it’s done simply because it’s so much fun. You can find different kinds of fashion items (or icons) to draw on each page, from argyle socks and kimonos to Courtney Love. As a lucky byproduct, my knowledge of fashion expanded significantly.
If it weren’t for the book, I wouldn’t know that the cute top in my drawer is originally called a peplum blouse. FYI, it was sold online and called the “Casey Top” according to the book.
Chronicle Books has published other “things-to-do” titles, namely the “642 Things to Write About”, “642 Things to Write About: Young Writer’s Edition” and “104 Things to Photograph”.
As anyone who has ever used a recipe book knows, sometimes it’s just easier to have a book tell you what to do.
