Brainstorming Strategies for Art Students: From Scribble Rescue to Mind Mapping
The Art of Education published an article on May 2026 offering practical brainstorming strategies for art teachers to help students overcome creative blocks. The article emphasizes that brainstorming is a teachable skill, not a last resort, and draws inspiration from Austin Kleon's book 'Steal Like an Artist.' It presents activities such as Scribble Rescue (turning scribbles into drawings), the 30 Circles Challenge (transforming one shape into many objects), and 3-Minute Memory Sketches (drawing from personal experience). Constraints are highlighted as a tool to boost creativity, with examples like Vocabulary Blitz (expressing a random adjective through drawings), 5-Shape Challenge (using only five shapes), and One-Line Drawing. The article also promotes building an 'idea bank' at the start of the year, mind mapping, 'What If?' prompts, and Art Dice to introduce chance. Four thinking processes are outlined: associative, divergent, visual organization, and collaborative thinking. The piece concludes by encouraging teachers to make brainstorming a routine part of every project, fostering student confidence and ownership of ideas.
Key facts
- Article published on The Art of Education in May 2026.
- References Austin Kleon's book 'Steal Like an Artist'.
- Scribble Rescue activity uses a single scribble or watercolor splatter.
- 30 Circles Challenge builds creative fluency by transforming one shape.
- 3-Minute Memory Sketch draws from personal experiences.
- Constraints like Vocabulary Blitz, 5-Shape Challenge, and One-Line Drawing are recommended.
- Idea bank created at the beginning of the year with personal themes like 'Identity'.
- Four thinking processes: associative, divergent, visual organization, collaborative.
Entities
Artists
- Austin Kleon
Institutions
- The Art of Education
- FLEX Curriculum