Drawing, Handwriting, and Coloring are Good for the Brain

I read a recent article in the New York Times, ‘Working With Your Hands Is Good for Your Brain,’ which discussed the importance of hands-on activities for our brains. Scientific studies have found that many hands-on activities like knitting, gardening, handwriting, coloring, playing a musical instrument, and making art are associated with cognitive and emotional benefits. The research found the people showed improvements in memory and attention, as well as reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms.

Sketchnotes

A study in Norway found that handwriting and drawing engage and exercise the brain more than typing on a keyboard. The research found that with handwriting, you have to form letters by making finely controlled hand and finger movements. Handwriting and drawings require elaborate brain activity.

Sketchnotes combine handwriting and drawing into a shared activity. Ditch the keyboard for note-taking. Grab some paper and your favorite writing tool to exercise your mind and give your memory an extra boost.

Be kind to yourself on your creative journey.

PS.

I hand-wrote this sketchnote to reinforce the message and because it has always been the way I had hoped to create the newsletter. I do write slowly, so it does take a little more time. I’m also afraid of typos and spelling mistakes.

---

Help the Newsletter

Thank you for reading my newsletter. The newsletter takes time and effort to create. To show your support, you can forward this newsletter to someone who would like it, sign up for the paid version,  Buy a T-Shirt, or give a one time tip on Buy Me a Coffee.

Buy Me a Coffee(Ko-Fi.com) makes it easy to support the newsletter and my art. In just a couple of taps, you can make a contribution (buy me a coffee). It doesn't even need you to create an account.