What do our doodles say

A meeting you can’t walk away from and say what you really think. Boring lecture. A protracted telephone conversation… We draw when we cannot object to the interlocutor. We agree and we draw, we draw …

“We all draw such icons from childhood,” says psychologist Natalya Evsikova, “this does not require special skills. We do it spontaneously, as if against our own desire, without caring about the aesthetic side of the drawing, because our creations are not intended for prying eyes. Most often, the sheets and leaves painted by us end up in the trash.

What motivates us to dirty paper? We draw when our hearts are restless, when we depend on the interlocutor, we are forced to listen to him, without the opportunity to answer or end the conversation. “This is a kind of outlet at a time when we are not able to change the situation,” explains Natalya Evsikova. — Doodles help us get rid of the emotions that fill us, concentrate and calm down.

In addition, drawing is a simple socially acceptable activity, we won’t wave our hands or make faces in a meeting. When we are limited in actions, spontaneous movements of the hand easily relieve internal tension — as if a valve opens, steam escapes, and the boiler does not explode. We can express an attitude towards what has already happened to us, or an attitude towards the future: let it not turn out the way I want, but I can portray my desires.

Geometric patterns, circles, labyrinths, pointed shapes, squares… Adults of different nationalities, origins, cultures and eras draw the same thing on the margins: as a rule, these are very simple shapes, characteristic lines, unambiguous objects.

The French psychoanalyst Jean-Tristan Bernard put forward a hypothesis according to which the scribbles of an adult are an unconscious reflection of the “geometry” that is formed in early childhood, when the baby first encounters the objects of the world around him.

At the same time, associations arise between geometric shapes and sensations — anger, joy or resentment that a child experiences when he sucks his mother’s breast or masters the process of defecation … Later, we involuntarily choose these outlines to express our psychological state.

“Probably, in our drawings,” Natalya Evsikova comments, “we unconsciously reproduce the associative links between various spatial forms and primary impulses. We relieve tension, streamline our feelings, as if we are “collecting” ourselves again.

That is why this activity calms us, stimulates or helps to concentrate. These drawings can be compared to a cigarette for a smoker. Drawing is a harmless occupation… but not for the pride of the organizer of the event: based on their number, he can easily assess the degree of his (un)success with the audience.

“As we age, we draw scribbles less and less often or stop doing it altogether,” says Natalia Evsikova. “Apparently, over the years, we still learn to deal with situations that are uncomfortable for us with words.”

Star

Drawing stars speaks of a desire to be in the spotlight, to «shine», but may indicate a depressive experience — if there are too many rays or they are depicted separately from the star itself.

Circles

A sign of self-isolation. The circle also speaks of the need to feel safe. If the circles intersect, this may mean a desire to join something, to participate in something.

Arrow

According to where it is directed, we can conclude what or whom you are oriented in life: to other people — an arrow up, to yourself — down, to the past — to the left, to the future — to the right.

Lattice

Indicates an obstacle. A person drawing a grid either feels driven into a corner, or tries to hide, protect himself from an obstacle.

Labyrinth or spiral

This is a sign that you are in search of harmony, your life path. If the lines are slanted to the right, you tend to be more open, and if to the left, you are quite careful. Endless labyrinths or spirals mean that you may not have enough time to sort out your desires.

Chess board

The alternation of white and black spots — hatched segments — often indicates indecision, searching for oneself … or a desire to challenge someone seriously, «to play a game of chess.» It may also mean that you find it difficult to compromise and iron out conflicts.

Words in a frame

This is a sign of self-affirmation and conviction that one is right. Sometimes it means a desire to convince others to accept your position.

A pile of cubes or brickwork

Most likely, you are trying to focus on a single idea. If the masonry is drawn neatly, your character is methodical and consistent, you know exactly what you want.

saw teeth

They symbolize aggressiveness, which can be positive and mean a desire to fight or negative — mean anger, hostility.

4 reasons to draw

These icons tell us what mood we were in when we were drawing. There are four most common situations that prompt us to create such «paintings».

1. Meeting

When we listen to what others are saying and we don’t have the ability or desire to respond, we receive information and react to it against our will. If we sit far enough from our neighbors, then we feel freer in self-expression: we draw caricatures, caricatures, where the characters are quite recognizable.

And if we sit side by side, then we often draw geometric shapes, landscapes, shade something — by the saturation of the picture, you can understand how strong emotions we are experiencing at the moment.

2. Telephone conversation

When we see the interlocutor, his facial expressions, gestures, we are unlikely to pick up a pencil or pen. A telephone conversation is another matter: we think of a lot, focusing only on the intonation of the voice on the other end of the wire. Drawings help to understand oneself, to establish one’s intentions, to make a decision. In this situation, we usually draw geometric shapes, frames, underline the words.

3. Unspoken emotions

Reproaches, anger, irritation, falling in love, sympathy — everything that we do not dare to tell the interlocutor in the face is reflected in the drawings.

4. Loneliness

In a situation of forced loneliness, boring pastime in the office, waiting room, they become a form of internal dialogue with oneself. By trying to analyze the “doodles of loneliness”, you can get to know yourself better.