Thinking is drawing in your head

Take the concept of a sketchbook, and plant that idea inside your cranial cavity. Yes, thinking is drawing in your head. I'm always sketching out ideas in that space between my ears... and occasionally one or two of them may pop-out and appear on paper.

I think in images more than words.

It's all about following a process. Where in previous blogs I have discussed disconnecting from your conscious state to allow for 'free-flowing' subconscious images and words to materialise, so in this instance we're almost flipping that idea on its head. Think... be conscious of your thought process, and sketch out some ideas whilst you're up there.

It's just another technique to employ as an artist, a scientist or... critical thinker! I enjoy changing my technique to suit my mood. One day I may employ the automatic writing/drawing process, and the next day I may use the conscious approach and really think my way through an idea. It's fantastic being able to apply either technique depending on your mindset at the time. They key thing is not to feel guilty when allowing yourself to sit back and think.

I have an issue with todays media and a lot of these “reality TV” shows. The media is guilty of ramming too much information down our throats. All you need to do is flick on the TV and watch one of the news channels. You have partitioned screens with various amounts of information, you have scrolling news feeds and graphics... and on top of all this you have the newsreader fighting for your attention. There can be up to four or five news stories on the screen at any one time. So how can anyone think with all that going on? The media seems so caught up in delivering us news, that sometimes they get ahead of themselves. They don't think. As for these contestants that take part in reality TV, do they think... at all?

I think I'm veering slightly.

Thinking is drawing in your head.

To get back to my initial point, we all create images and words in our head don't we? We all have an idea about something, someone or somewhere that we imagine in our minds. We may well be 'sketching' out a concept, playing it over and over again to explore the possible outcomes... to identify with consequence. Thinking, planning and developing ideas is just like drawing on paper, with the added bonus that it's locked away, until you're ready to share it with the world.

So how do you value 'thinking'?

To conclude, I'd just like to add that I value the time it takes to think about a project. To intellectually and emotionally plan a project. In todays society (referring back to the media analogy of speed) we have so much information at our fingertips (the internet) and we are constantly spoon fed information via the news and advertising... that we have little time to stop and think.

Therefore I value that time I have to think, and I am happy to charge for it. I run a branding business, and the first part of any project is to think about it. To 'chew' on it for a few days in the back of my mind. Then I'll bring it to my full attention, and think through a strategy. I allow time to 'think' in my business and therefore charge for my time. So many people only charge for the physical time spent at the canvas, or on the computer. They forget that they have been 'drawing in their heads' for a few days before hand. Which is a skill, and you need to be recognised for it.