Back to the Drawing Board: The Power of Pen to Paper

✍️ Are there pens, pencils, sticky notes and notebooks on your desk?

In this digital era, it's easy to forget how powerful something so simple can be... like putting pen to paper.

In this edition of IGNITE IDEAS! I’m inviting you to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the creative tools we’ve always had at our fingertips.

Because sometimes, the clarity we’re searching for doesn’t come from more scrolling, it starts with a doodle, a hand-writen note, or a spark of colour to reignite your imagination...

Do You Think Through Your Hands?

This news headline really shocked me:

“Children are losing the ability to hold a pencil and draw.”

77% of teachers say fine motor skills have declined since 2020. The shift away from art and the rise in screen time has left me thinking…

Have we stopped using our hands to think?

From cave drawings to notebook journaling, mark-making has always been part of how we process ideas and make sense of the world. It’s more than creativity… it’s connection.

When was the last time you picked up a pen just to think?

I shared this news on LinkedIn and the response was thought-provoking. It seems many of us feel the same... nostalgic, concerned, and curious - ready to reclaim the joy of doodling, writing by hand, and creative expression.

💭 Read the post and share your thoughts on LinkedIn

Time for Colouring In!

Do you remember that feeling as a child when you were colouring in?

Somewhere along the way, did you stop making time to play? Did it become something that was seen as a waste of your precious time?

Well, what if the key to unlocking new ideas… was simply putting pen or pencil to paper again?

🎨 Connect on Instagram and sing along to the "Colouring In" song!

Have You Stopped Playing?

This is one of my favourite quotes, a reminder about what we choose to do:

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old... we grow old because we stop playing.”
– George Bernard Shaw

If you love this, you'll love The Clarity Quest Little IdeasBook of Motivational Quotes - a free downloadable eBook filled with VisualDoodle quotes you can colour in, reflect on, use to create clarity and inspire action.

🎁 Download your FREE eBook here

Permission to Press Pause and Play!

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to invest in you?

That’s what Daydream & Doodle Day is all about... a creative day for grown-ups to press pause, pick up a 'magic' pen, and reconnect with valuable ideas.

Join me on Wednesday 18th June at Blackwell Grange Hotel in Darlington for a relaxing, inspiring VIP retreat, where you'll:

✨ Unlock your visual thinking and learn how to VisualDoodle.

✨ Create your very own Treasure Map and Superpower Self.

✨ Personalise your IdeasBook, and create your 50 BIG Ideas Planner to move from stuck to inspired.

🎫 Golden Ticket: £147 – Limited availability (only a few left!)

Find out more and book your place

There is power in putting pen to paper to create the future you desire...

Together, let's IGNITE IDEAS!

Ann English

Visual Strategist | TEDx Speaker | Author

P.S. If you want more... Visit my store!

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