Draw Something Every Day!

Deborah DeLue • August 20, 2021

The Art of Applied Visual Thinking

The official newsletter of Applied Visual Thinking SUPERHEROES. Vol. 2 No. 17 August 20, 2021

I'm a huge fan of Jessica Hagy's Indexed blog, where she publishes a simple visual thinking chart every weekday while the coffee brews. Her work is what great visual thinking is all about. Her simple charts pack a ton of meaning into a simple drawing that's fast and easy to create, understand, and share with others.

Here at AVT, we believe creating a daily drawing habit is a great way to...

Build Your Visual Thinking Superpower!

The more you draw, the easier it becomes. Likewise, the more extensive your visual vocabulary, the greater your visual thinking superpowers will become. You don't need any artistic talent, fancy art supplies, or expensive tech. A simple pen or pencil and a sheet of paper, post-it notes, or index card will do nicely. Best of all, you don't need a lot of time either; committing to just 5 minutes a day will do wonders for your visual vocabulary.

Are you ready to become a great visual thinker? Download a free copy of our favorite type of journaling page (inspired by composition notebooks from school, they're great for visual thinking and improving your handwriting!), grab something to draw with, and dive in!

Download Your Free Journal Page HERE!

Draw something every day!

Here's a list of 50 ideas to get you started drawing every day:

Draw a new icon once a week and practice drawing it every day for a week.
Find a favorite quote and turn it into a simple chart. This is my favorite quote from bestselling author
Seth Godin
Create a new icon mashup every day for a week
Draw a timeline for the plot of the book you're writing or are planning to write
Practice drawing simple containers, connectors, and borders
Create a timeline for the plot to your favorite book, play, or movie

Write out a definition for the word of the day using size and color to show the importance and add meaning then add a quick sketch. The classic Cesar Salad generally attributed to restaurateur
Caesar Cardini is the ultimate example of creating something great using what's on hand.
Create a mind map outlining the major components of your next big project, vacation, book, course, or presentation Draw a simplified version of your favorite animals
Create a diagram showing your top skills
Draw an icon of your favorite foods
Create a visual hierarchy to rank your favorite
vacation spots
Create a timeline of your work history
Draw a visual packing list or your next vacation
Create a visual to-do list

Draw an icon of the same idea a different way everyday for a week using your favorite app - start simple and work your way up to more elaborate This one was drawn on an iPad using the
Paper by WeTransfer app
Create a drawing of your breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks (use as few lines as possible)
Create a Venn diagram showing the 3 best things that happened today
Draw a timeline of your day every day for a week or month; heck, why not all year!

Draw icons for everything on your grocery list
Draw 5 things on your desk, in your purse, or in your
junk drawer
Draw a love note to your honey
Create a chart for the agenda of your next meeting
Draw a map of your daily commute
Draw a flow chart of your morning routine
Draw out the steps to your favorite recipe
Diagram the user interface of your favorite app
Draw the view from your window
Diagram the features of your most and least favorite
tech devices and show why
Create a chart of your monthly budget
Create a contour line drawing of your favorite plants
Create a map of your garden
Diagram your family's emergency evacuation plan
Create a bubble chart showing your levels of education and training
Create a mind map of your 5-year plan
Create a map of your neighborhood
Create a flowchart showing the life cycle of a chicken

Create a chart showing you're most to least favorite modes of transportation
Create a map of all the places you've lived and where you'd like to live in the future
Create a diagram of your family tree
Create a diagram showing the parts of a skateboard, scooter, or bicycle
Create a map of your home, office, or favorite hang-out
Create a mind map for the syllabus of the last course you took
Create a flowchart showing how to make coffee, tea, or toast
Create a timeline for completing your next project
Create an org chart for your business or organization
Draw 5 simple characters from history, your favorite book, or
favorite movie
Create a flowchart showing how to make a paper airplane or paper doll
Diagram the steps to your favorite dance
Draw out the communication flow in your organization