Doodling is healthy!

I am a compulsive doodler. I admit it, and I think it's a healthy compulsion. So today on I somehow found this wonderful video, talking about the value of doodling:TED talk: Doodlers, unite!
OK, so I can't seem to get the image for the video to post here, but trust me, it's worth it to click on the link and watch it. It will only take a few minutes of your day.

Here is a definition for doodling proposed in the video: "to make spontaneous marks to help yourself think". I like it!

I found it on this interesting page I got to through somebody's pin on Pinterest: Doodle Lab. I definitely will go back there and explore some more. I'm not really sure what it is all a part of, but the page contains links to all sorts of provocative articles on doodling that confirm what I've been trying to tell people for years: If I am doodling when in a meeting or at a lecture (I basically am always doodling at these times) it does NOT mean I'm not paying attention. It does the opposite - it helps me focus. Without a pen and paper to doodle with, I guarantee my mind would be wandering elsewhere.

As a matter of fact, I posted some thoughts about doodling here as part of a rant about Zentangles. (If you go read this now, please enjoy my doodles and my thoughts but don't get too upset about my Zentangle opinions. It's just that: an opinion. You are free to call your doodles whatever you like. I happen to like the SHAPE of the word doodle, so I wouldn't call it anything else. As a matter of fact, I have doodled the word doodle many times. Weird, I know....)

Anyhow, here are some 5th grade student doodles-in-progress. They work on them when they are listening, or when they have a few minutes to kill.

Recycled Art Show

The high school art teacher learned about a Recycled Art Show and we both decided to enter our students' work. There is an outdoor and an indoor show, with the openings earlier this evening. The show was co-sponsored by the Hudson Crossing Park (located at a lock on the Champlain Canal on the Hudson River, in Schuylerville NY) and the Saratoga National Historic Park.

Here's high school seniors Caitlin and Johna with their sculpture called "Edison's Tree". It is hard to photograph, but it is a willow-type tree made completely from recycled electronics and other scrap materials.

Look hard at the photo on the right below, and perhaps you can find the hidden man (hint: he is made out of black tubing).

On the left below, a comfy recycled chair, and on the right, a piece called "the Social Alien". Note the beer can in his hand....

My favorite piece in the outdoor show:

And my favorite from the indoor show, called "Watching Copperhead"

On the left, a student piece, and on the right, an adult piece lovely in its simplicity:

On the left below, a high school piece, and on the right a fun bottle-cap piece:

There actually were several bottle-cap pieces, but my favorites were the ones where the actual STRUCTURE was made from recyclables. The bottle-cap pieces seemed like an easy gimmick.

By the way, some of my students' papier-mache cats were also in the indoor show, but you've already seen enough of them in prior posts.

One more thing - This post has taken me FOREVER. I tried desperately using the new Blogger format that showed up today, and all my photos turned sideways in different directions, and the text wouldn't go where I wanted it, and photos and text were jumping all over the place making the post unreadable and a total disaster. Photos were grouping together in haphazard fashion and wouldn't un-group; text was a mess.

You may not know this about me, but I am an editing FREAK. I do not like losing control over my layout or having posts look messy and I finally found a way to revert to the old-fashioned Blogger format and start over completely with a new post. And all my photos entered right-side up so you can now see them without having to turn your head this way and that!

Have you had better success with the new Blogger than me? Or are you equally frustrated? Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to read through this post.
My photo, Caitlin's foot.