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.
This works with any number of people. In fact, the more the merrier.
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.
Next, ask them to transform the squiggles into birds.
It’s quite captivating, and entertaining as you explore how each little bird comes to life.
Ask everyone to share their creations with the group.