Art stimulates the imagination. Art opens the heart and mind to possibilities and fuels the imagination, encourages open ended thinking and creativity. Imagination and creativity buds at an early age, one of the first thing Toddler does is pickup pencil and start drawing basic shapes like circles and lines, to represent various objects in real life. As Pablo Picasso quoted “Every child is an artist, but the problem is to remain an artist after they grow”. Being an Artist not only simulates creativity, there are numerous benefits, with this article I want to focus on few benefits of sketching.

Sketching helps in imagination and visualization. Visualization refers to our ability to create pictures in our head based on what we perceieve through sensory organs. If words are consciously used to create mental images, it enhances the speed of our understanding. That is the reason it is often quoted “A picture can speak  thousand words.” As a result, those who make the most of visualization have an advanced ability to understand it in a better way, learn it faster, and retain it in the memory for longer time. Sketching will help you improve your communication skills. As there are no words in a drawing, most of the time, the artist finds other ways to express his thoughts and feelings to the audience. This can help improve ones communication skills by better understanding of ones feelings and emotions rather than any need for words.

Improved visualization and communication through sketching develops strategic thinking. These can really go a long way in helping the personal development and the ability to solve problems. Sketching allows you to sit back, rest, relax and sketch a picture at your own pace. There are no rules and no one telling you what to do, you can just draw whatever you want and have fun while doing it or drawing up something from your thought process.

Sketching helps you develop a number of different areas of your brain. You develop your ability to focus and pay attention on one prolonged activity or thing, which we call concentration, a skill that can be very useful throughout your life and career. Sketching develops hand-eye coordination so that everyday tasks can become easier for you. Having co-ordination and control on connecting different areas of physical or mental body through awareness will lead to improving your focus and concentration on activity to extend your physical and mental limits. This is a skill that will help you in getting better or perform with ease in sports or in day-to-day life. To quote an example for awareness, you can improve your running or jogging, by being aware of breathing and stepping as a coordinated effort, as you run over period of time. Your body will learn and train to be aware and that awareness will become your instinct without you reminding after certain time depending on individual’s ability to concentration. Sketching is the stepping stone, in developing your ability to improve coordination, awareness and concentration.

Though Art and practicing sketching for longer periods as hobby or work, you will improve your strategic thinking, imagination and concentration, that can build your self-esteem and confidence over time. That will in turn bring you sense of achievement, completion and start feeling proud of your work, happiness and joy in your life. Having confidence in your work, is the foundation to build your career.