Why Drawing Matters

We tend to think of drawing as a skill reserved for artists – something creative, expressive, maybe even leisurely. Andrea Kantrowitz, artist, researcher, and educator, challenges that notion. With a degree in Art and Cognition from Harvard Universtity and a doctorate in art education and cognitive studies, she has spent her career studying how drawing shapes the way we think. Her research reveals that drawing is not just an artistic skill. It is a powerful cognitive tool that enhances perception, problem-solving, and innovation.

Thinking With Your Hands

We don’t just think with our brains. We think with our hands. Kantrowitz explains that cognition is embodied, meaning that movement, gestures, and physical interaction with materials shape how we process information. Drawing makes our thinking visible. It allows us to see ideas take shape in real time, refine them, and explore new possibilities.

Children instinctively draw before they learn to write, using it as a natural way to understand the world. Across all cultures and throughout history, drawing has been a fundamental tool for learning and discovery. It allows us to process information in ways that verbal or written language cannot.

Drawing as a Thinking Process

Kantrowitz’s research reveals that drawing is not just about reproducing what we see. It is about how we see. The brain does not passively receive visual information. It constructs reality through perception. When we draw, we negotiate between what we think we know and what is actually in front of us.

This process has profound cognitive benefits. Scientists, engineers, and designers use sketching to develop complex ideas. Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, Einstein’s diagrams, and even heart surgeons all demonstrate that drawing is a tool for inquiry, problem-solving, and innovation. It enhances our ability to break down problems, identify patterns, and think spatially.

A Conversation Between Mind and Image

Kantrowitz describes drawing as a conversation between the brain and the page. The marks we make “talk back” to us, suggesting new ideas and directions. This exchange between intention and discovery fosters deeper insights and unexpected solutions.

This is why drawing is not just about art. It is about thinking itself. By drawing, we engage in a continuous loop of observation, interpretation, and refinement. This process strengthens memory, improves spatial reasoning, and enhances critical thinking.

Reframing Drawing as a Cognitive Skill

If you have ever said, “I can’t draw,” it is time to rethink that belief. Drawing is not about talent. It is about training your brain to think differently. Kantrowitz’s work reminds us that drawing is a fundamental human capability, one that can deepen perception, refine thinking, and transform how we engage with the world.

The question is not whether you can draw. It is whether you are ready to see thinking itself in a new way.