04/30/2026
On my way to tell my teachers that the doodling in the margins was me trying to pay attention đ
(especially in math class)
In school, doodling got labeled as distraction.
Like it meant we werenât listening.
But for some of us, it was the thing keeping us with what was being said.
A way to stay anchored instead of drifting.
Our brains arenât built for long stretches of stillness and passive listening.
Sometimes they need a little movement to stay online.
One study found people remembered about 29% more while doodling during a boring task (Andrade, 2009).
And⌠this shows up in art therapy too.
Weâll often make art while talking.
Not to avoid whatâs coming up, but to stay grounded, focused, and present in the room and in our bodies.
Did you doodle in class too or get told to stop? đ
Tell me in the comments! đ
