Squiggle Birds
At the start of creative group sessions, it is often important to help people ease their inhibitions and build a bit of creative self-confidence.
People’s creativity is often held back because they think they can’t draw. Squiggle Birds is a very simple exercise which is remarkably good at loosening up those internal tensions and putting a smile on proceedings. It is mainly intended to demonstrate how easily anyone can draw to represent an idea. In the process, it switches on their curiosity and dissipates self-doubts.
Squiggle Birds is drawn from creative thinkers Chris Glynn and Dave Gray. Thanks for the inspiration.
Process:
This works with any number of people. In fact, the more the merrier.
1: Draw squiggles
Ask everyone to take a plain sheet of paper and draw some roundish squiggles around the page. Make them different sizes. Vary their shape. About a dozen squiggles is great.
Or download some ready-made squiggles if you wish.
2: Transform them into birds
Next, ask them to transform the squiggles into birds.
- A triangle for a beak;
- A dot for an eye;
- Two simple bird feet;
- And another triangle for a tail.
It’s quite captivating, and entertaining as you explore how each little bird comes to life.
3: Share your masterpieces
Ask everyone to share their creations with the group.