Arrows for ambition, flowers for family - a graphologist translates your idle scribbles

Stuck somewhere, waiting or listening with a pen in your hand? The chances are you’ll start doodling. And what you choose to doodle will reveal volumes about your personality and mood.

‘We tend to doodle when we are bored or stressed,’ says Ruth Rostron, professional handwriting analyst and vice-chair of the British Institute of Graphologists. ‘Because of this, we’re usually only half-conscious of what we’re drawing — which means our inner preoccupations surface on paper.’

Many of us end up drawing the same things. Stars, flowers, boxes and arrows frequently crop up — common symbols of aspirations and feelings. According to Rostron, you should also look at how a doodle is drawn to find out its true meaning.

‘Emotional people who want harmony and crave affection tend to use rounded shapes and curved lines. Down-to-earth, practical types tend to use straight lines and squares. Determined people will use corners, zigzags and triangles, while more hesitant types use light, sketchy strokes. A large doodle shows a person is confident and outgoing, while a small one suggests the person prefers to observe rather than participate.’

Faces: The expression on a doodled face is often a good indication of the mood or character of the person who has drawn it. A nicely drawn, good-looking face suggests you see the good in others. If you sketch weird or ugly faces, you are probably mistrustful. Comic faces demonstrate a desire to be the centre of attention. Profiles indicate you’re an introvert.

Chess Board: The black and white chequerboard doodle suggests patience and persistence. Perhaps you are weighing-up various options regarding a tricky situation? It’s also the favourite doodle of people who are prone to mood swings.

Flowers: Soft, rounded petals around a circular flower centre suggest an amiable, family-centric person. If the centre of your flower is a circle, but your petals are pointy, you are probably hiding a warm heart behind a prickly defensiveness. If you doodle a bunch of perky-looking flowers you are likely to be sociable. Drooping flower heads, on the other hand, indicate you’re burdened by worry.

Flighty: fluttering butterflies, birds and bees suggest you don’t want to be tied down — or landed with difficult tasks or problems.

Hearts: Obviously a romantic doodle. Drawing a heart indicates you’re in love with love.

Intricate patterns: Busy, highly-detailed doodles are often drawn by people with an obsessive nature, who simply will not let go of their ambitions or loved ones. This type of drawing is often a favourite with extreme introverts.

Arrows: A determined person with a specific goal in mind will draw arrows, subconsciously ‘aiming’ at his or her ‘target’. If the arrow is sharp and angular, the target probably is something important — perhaps a person who needs to be confronted or a job that needs to be applied for. If it is more fluid — and decorated — it’s likely to be the target is an affair of the heart or something the doodler feels passionate about.

Boats and planes: Doodling any form of transport often indicates a desire to escape from a situation.

House: This common doodle indicates a need for security. A neat drawing of a house suggests a secure home life, a more messy-looking sketch (especially one without windows) indicates unhappiness with your home life. A house pictured on its own on top of a hill suggests you’re feeling lonely.

Stars: Stars are often drawn by ambitious people. Lots of little stars indicate optimism. If you’ve drawn one big, bold, embellished star, you’ve got a definite goal in your sights. Neat, uniform stars suggest good mental focus, while freehand, asymmetric stars show an energetic personality.

Stick figure: Commonly doodled by highly successful people, the simple stick figure reveals someone who is in control of their emotions and incredibly focused on their goals in life.

Ordinary doodle in a copybook now can become a whole map to you

Source: The Daily Mail