Hey Sketchy Situation,

Oh wow, that sounds AWFUL! I don’t know WHAT I’d do if I wasn’t allowed to draw. I’m pretty sure I’d EXPLODE!! And I’m sure your mom doesn’t want you to do that.

I mean, look, drawing is NOT a waste of time! Developing your artistic side totally helps you make connections in more academic subjects! There’s actual research to back that up. And also, art and self-expression have value of their own, even if they didn’t help you do better in math.

But how to convince your mum…

Well, I think a couple things. First of all, I think your mum probably isn’t anti-ART, so much as she’s anti-you-slacking-off. I’m not saying you ARE slacking off. But she thinks so. So why does she think so? Is there any chance your grades have been slipping, or you’ve been leaving studies until the last minute, or she sees you drawing a lot more often than she sees you studying? Think about how you can show her you’re doing well in school. And if you’re actually NOT doing well in school…well, start! Don’t give her ammunition to use against you.

But YOU need to gather some ammunition. To do that, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Like I mentioned above, there is actual, scientific stuff that supports the fact that different people learn in different ways. Some people actually need to be using the artistic side of their brain to be able to process information. So doodling really honestly helps them learn! Isn’t that cool?!! 🙂

So, do some research. The internet is your friend (sometimes!). Try searching for these words: “doodling benefits”. You’re going to find all sorts of impressive sounding articles that talk about how drawing develops the brain, and helps the brain make connections, and how doodlers are more likely to recall information they heard while doodling.

Now, this isn’t a free ticket out of homework and into doodling all day, obviously. But if you can show your mum that art is really important to you and actually helps you, hopefully she’ll chill out. And maybe you can make some compromises, too. After all, you can’t expect her to be the only one opening her mind. So maybe you could promise not to sketch until after you’ve finished your homework for the night. Or maybe you get sketch breaks, like you work for a half hour, and you get ten minutes to sketch.

There’s got to be a way for you both to get some of what you want here. She gets academic excellence from you, and you get a chance to let your artistic light shine! It’s a win-win situation! 🙂

Do you have hobbies your parents disapprove of? Is there something that helps you learn, like loud music, fidget spinners, or doodling?