How To Bible Doodle When You Can’t Draw
Have you ever seen a Bible doodle? You know, those stick figures in childish drawings that never made it to anyone’s Pinterest board?!
Bible doodling is for you when you can’t draw and there’s not a single trace of creativity in your body.
Is that you? Hang with me as I share an innovative way for the non-artistic-wannabe-artist to meditate and worship with God.
The Non-Artist in You wants to Create
Do you ever scroll through your Pinterest feed and have gorgeous Bible journaling art jump out at you?
That happens to me all. the. time.
You might not have the ability to draw or paint like the examples that are floating across your screen . . . or so you think!
But . . . you want to create. To draw and paint.
You have no idea where to begin.
What I want to emphasize is that God is our Creator and the Artist of artists.
Your appreciation for creative journaling art that many women do in their Bibles came from your artistic Father.
Purchase an Inexpensive Journaling Bible
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible
There are some amazing and affordable journaling Bibles on Amazon. I have several that cost between $17 and $27 and look beautiful.
If the cost is a stretch for your budget right now, find a jar and start putting quarters, dimes, and nickles into it. Do people do this anymore?
We are so used to living practically cashless that loose coins are a nuisance. So save them for a journaling Bible the old-fashioned way!
Whatever your method of coming up with a journaling Bible, go for it!
Your doodles will be right on the page where the passage is found.
How to Bible Doodle a Verse
It is best to read through a book of the Bible or even the entire Bible. What I want to encourage you to do is doodle a verse in context with the passage where it is found.
A verse is placed in Scripture for a reason. Words like ‘for’ or ‘only’ will refer to previous verses that help it to make sense.
That being said,
- Choose a verse from your time with God this morning.
- Write out your verse (or highlight part of it) in the margin of your journaling Bible.
- Your handwriting is perfect even if you think it is imperfect. Many popular fonts showcase a less than perfect handwriting.
- Micron or Gel Pens are a colorful way of making your Bible doodle stand out. I have seen many journals on Pinterest which use black pens.
- Next, using an automatic pencil, outline your doodle.
But you may ask, “How do I actually Bible doodle?” Good question!
You can simply write out your verse, or you can illustrate it by doodling.
Doodling isn’t art and engages the whole brain in the process. It helps you remember more about what you are reading through meditation while you draw and create.
Wait! You’re artistically challenged!
An alternative to copying out a verse in the margin is to take a word and write it BIG on the page. Then take a gel pen and trace and color it.
Next, try sketching or doing stick figures about your verse. You could even use stickers if your confidence or ability is just not there.
Your Response to God
Someone might be able to create a beautiful Bible doodle and upload it to Pinterest.
Only YOU can create an imperfect doodle that looks like scratches all over the page while you have an amazing time alone with Jesus.
After reading your Bible, here are the things to do as you doodle.
- Pray before you start your Bible doodle!
- Ask God to cause words and phrases to stand out to you!
- Does the passage create an image in your mind?
- What is an easy-peasy way to illustrate the words or phrases?
- OR just draw a simple design or flowers!
- Meditate or think about the words and images you are creating!
- Pray and ask God to work in your heart!
- Do you need to confess any sin? Remember David?
David sinned big time and yet because he confessed his sins, God in His mercy forgave him!
The purpose of reading the Bible is so that we spend time getting to know God and allow Him to work in our hearts.
The Bible is God’s ‘love note’ to us and by reading it, we get to know God.
In Summary
- Read the passage from your Bible study. Think about ways that you can express what you are reading through doodling. It does not matter if you can even draw a stick figure.
- Write out some notes of what God is showing you. I go in seasons and sometimes write out a whole study in response to what I am reading while other times, I just doodle and that is all.
- Doodle one image or several that correspond to your notes. Use a pencil to draw your images and then trace it over in a fine-tipped black (or colored) pen, next color your doodles in.
- Meditate on the passage as you doodle.
- Pray about the passage, your husband, children, friends, unsaved, and other needs.
- Play worship music and lift your heart up in praise to God as you doodle.
You really don’t have to be able to draw in order to get the benefits God has for you as you doodle. I had never drawn a thing since high school when I started to doodle.
Do you doodle as you journal your Bible reading? What can you add to what I have shared? My thoughts on doodling are far from complete!
