Learning by Doing

Feb 25, 2022

The Art of Applied Visual Thinking

The official newsletter of Applied Visual Thinking SUPERHEROES. Vol. 3 No. 4 February 25, 2022

Learning by Doing

You can't learn to bake a cherry pie like Mama's just by reading the recipe. You've gotta DO IT!

Similarly,…

You can't learn to drive without practice behind the wheel.
You can't truly learn a language until you converse with native speakers.
You can't climb a mountain from the couch.
You can't know how to tie a good sheepshank knot just by memorizing a poster.
You don't know how many pages your story will be until you write it.

By the same token, you can't learn to be a visual thinker merely by reading about the topic. It makes sense to start with the concepts and find an approach that works for you, but then you simply have to apply that learning one pen, pencil, marker or stylus stroke at a time until the concepts are eventually replaced by muscle memory.

That's why Debbie and I started Applied Visual Thinking...
to break visual thinking into bite-sized chunks that can be practiced learned and practiced as part of your daily stuff rather than wedged into the non-existent empty spaces in between.

If you've taken a bunch of online courses before, you might think, "I've got this. I can skim through, get the main gist, and try it out when I have a need for it." Sounds good on paper, BUT, we've found that visual thinking is experiential — you've gotta DO IT to GET IT!

In fact, one of our course participants learned not to rush and to lift his pen between strokes. He wants to know how to draw arrows better. Arrows can be harder to draw than they look, and drawing them competes with the main subject for your attention. With practice, however, arrows can be woven into your "body memory" as you so aptly describe. Mark, this freebie's for you!

How to draw arrows handout containing multiple arrows of many styles and colors

1. Here's one place to start doing something simple, then applying it. There is a line in a Kacey Musgraves song that I like, "Follow your arrow wherever it points." Download this free handout to learn how to draw different styles of arrows. Pick up your pen, pencil, marker or stylus and find or create YOUR favorite arrow. Practice it until drawing it feels as natural as writing your name.

2. Visual Thinking is bigger than a breadbox. Visual thinking always starts simple (think dot, line, square,…) but the possibilities for application quickly grow huge. What would you like to learn? What skills might you like to develop? Check out our current Courses page for a few ideas of where to start! Make a list and use your new favorite arrow to indicate which you'd like to develop or hone first.

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