On page 74 of my Goodnotes notebook for NEUR0010, nestled between noradrenergic and serotonergic system mechanisms, is the line, “there’d better be a mirrorball,” written in eclectic lavender calligraphy and surrounded by tiny, crookedly-drawn stars.
I cannot explain how and why my CHEM0330, NEUR0100, and CLPS0450 notes have become my go-to outlet for cathartic calligraphy and delightful doodles. Somewhere along the line, my stress response became writing random, silly things that came into my head in loopy cursive or funky block letters surrounded by mini drawings. I peruse my Goodnotes notebook, smiling to myself as every page reveals a new doodle.
Page 23: The Physiological Importance of Occasional Silly Goosery
The strokes of my stylus are graceful and sweeping. My swirling lettering mimics the balance doodling can bring me in moments of emotional spirals. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) shows that doodling, calligraphy, and similar tasks activate reward pathways in the brain, enhancing our mental well-being. I smile as the rhythmic motions of my fingers render dainty, delicate flowers around the curvilinear words, releasing the tension in my body more effectively than pumpkin spice lattes on a tedious, chilly fall day (a significant achievement indeed).
Page 47: Pathologically Procrastinating Through Life
The jagged lines on the page that merge into flowing hearts are reminiscent of the way doodling helps disentangle mental threads, improving concentration by deactivating “focus” circuits and stimulating “un-focus” circuits. Studies show that self-control and focus are like muscles that get tired the more they are in use, and silly, sweet scribbles provide the cognitive breaks our minds crave. As the stylus sweeps over the page, I feel more attuned to my sense of self, the doodles filling the gaps in my experiential awareness. I can distill my attention, feel fully, and appreciate expansively.
Page 86: Eternal Sunshine of the (non-) Spotless Mind
The loopy, bubbly lettering reflects how doodling circumvents the complete distraction of daydreaming by keeping people attentive when consuming long, content-heavy, or repetitive information. Psychologist Jackie Andrade’s experiment had participants monitor a two-and-a-half minute dull and rambling voicemail message. People who kept their brain active by doodling demonstrated better recall. As I review my CHEM0330 notes, my hand forms little overlapping circles. I feel a spontaneous burst of energy enlivening my mind to learn the material.
Page 111: Pumpkin Spice Lattes are the Love of My Life
The intricate, closely-spaced calligraphy, accompanied by an iced coffee cartoon, is rendered with the quintessential quirkiness and personality I infuse in all my creative work. After all, doodling is one of the most fun and accessible modes of self-expression that, with minimal effort, provides unique insights into the psychological profile of a person, or, at the very least, where they fall on the silly-cutesy to want-to-scream-in-frustration mood spectrum.
Doodling, to me, is like a pumpkin spice latte—a jolt of creative spirit, mixed with a calming froth of focus, topped with a zing of personality. It brings me uplifting endorphins, soothes my mind, and fills me with comfortable exultation. It gives my brain the freedom to stretch out like a cat in a sunbeam, with no consequences except, “there’d better be a mirrorball” in the margin of my NEUR0010 notes.
