Sketchbook: Do grown ups doodle too?
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010A confession: I have never received a college degree. I have taken college courses on and off since high school (don’t ask how long ago) but spent most of that class time doodling. I value education but I also get distracted when there’s pen and paper in front of me.
Currently I am attending a branch of the local university (Dona Ana Community College). The course is a one credit class. I take this class to establish my studentship so that I may attempt to get an internship at MAD Magazine during the summer. This would be a dream come true. I love MAD Magazine… at least the pre-color, pre-advertising MAD. Regardless, I love what MAD stands for and I would find it an honor to be able to work with the wonderfully fantastic “Usual Gang of Idiots.” For the record, my favorites are Sergio Aragones and Mort Drucker.
So back to school. In the registration phases, I reminisced about those days long gone where I would doodle everything from sacks of sand to naked fat people (not as dissimilar as one might think) whilst the professor droned. I though I was all past that. Well, I found that I unconsciously doodle even to this day. The three images you see scattered in this article are a few examples.
I have found that my doodles do not necessarily take away from the learning process – actually I love to listen and draw. I draw Perk at Work and Attack Mimes with the accompaniment of podcasts galore.
Do I have a kid brain because I doodle? Nah. It’s something I do. To avoid it would take more energy than to not. And focusing on not doodling would distract from the learning process. I doodle. It’s part of who I am.
And, as I like to say, don’t fight it, just invite it. Maybe the doodles might bring some happiness to someone somewhere. There. Justification done.











