Why Drawing is Important In The Digital Age
Image by Kat von Wood
AI images are easy to create, so why would anyone still pick up a pencil and struggle through the messy, imperfect process of drawing by hand?
I can see and hear my drawing coming to life. The grey denseness touches each edge of the page, making turns at the corners. The charcoal’s gentle scratch lets me know I’m making progress. My hand wants to play, creating lines that slowly form into shapes, then details, and then an image. I’m fully present—connecting my senses, mind, and hand in a timeless dance.
I took my first studio art class as a high school teenager. I loved it. Learning to draw was like being given a key to another world. I could take the blank page and make something that didn’t exist before. I could transform nothing into something. I didn’t know where this magic came from, but I knew I had found something I wanted to keep doing.
Today, in 2025, as AI-generated imagery is popping up everywhere, I find myself reflecting on why the human act of drawing continues to be important.
The Human Touch in a Digital World: Why Drawing in the Age of AI is More Important Than Ever
It’s easy to see that artificial intelligence is changing how we create. Anyone can prompt an AI to generate wildly realistic or fantastically imaginative images. These tools have expanded the possibilities of visual creation. Yet paradoxically, as these technologies advance, I find myself wanting to return more deeply to traditional drawing.
Why? Drawing isn’t just about the result—it’s about the process, the experience, and the uniquely human journey of translating what we see, think, and feel into marks on a surface.
When we draw, we engage in an act of presence that AI cannot replicate. Each hesitation, each correction, and each choice of pressure or angle tells a story about our human experience. These imperfections aren’t flaws to be eliminated but rather the very signature of our humanity.
As I work in my studio discovering (and rediscovering) the joy of drawing, I’m struck by a paradox—the more advanced our AI image generation becomes, the more valuable human-created marks seem to be.
Image by Dima Solomin
Sharpening the Pencil: Evidence-Based Research on the Benefits of Drawing
Beyond the philosophical aspects, research has consistently revealed profound benefits to the act of drawing that extend far beyond creating aesthetically pleasing images. Here are a few findings that shed light on the value drawing offers.
Drawing Enhances Memory and Learning
In a digital age of constant information overload, retaining knowledge becomes increasingly crucial. Research has demonstrated that drawing words instead of writing them improved recall by nearly twice as much in study participants. This ‘drawing effect’ occurs because the drawing simultaneously integrates visual, motor, and semantic processing, creating stronger memory traces in our brains.
As an arts educator, I’ve seen this principle at work. Students who incorporate drawing into their learning process—whether sketching concepts, visualising mythologies, or mapping out ideas—consistently demonstrate deeper understanding and retention of material.
A Natural Stress Reducer
The pandemic and what followed have left many of us searching for effective ways to manage increased anxiety and stress. In our always-on world, finding moments of mental quiet has become more difficult and essential.
Research in art therapy shows drawing to be particularly effective at reducing cortisol levels. Just 45 minutes of creative activity was shown to significantly reduce stress markers in participants. Drawing induces a flow state similar to meditation, allowing our minds to process emotions and experiences in a non-verbal, intuitive way.
I’ve witnessed this transformation countless times in my studio. Students arrive tense and distracted, then gradually relax and become more present as they become absorbed in drawing. The outside world recedes, and for a time, there is just the paper, the pencil, and the emerging image.
Cognitive Flexibility and Problem-Solving
In our AI-assisted world, the uniquely human ability to think creatively and solve problems from multiple angles remains our greatest advantage. Drawing actively cultivates these skills.
Artistic expression fosters divergent thinking—the ability to generate multiple solutions to a problem—which is crucial for innovation. When we draw, we make countless micro-decisions about line, form, and composition, training our brains to become more flexible and resourceful.
This cognitive flexibility doesn’t just benefit artists. Engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs—professionals across all fields rely on creative problem-solving to address complex challenges. Drawing develops this mental agility in ways that passive consumption of AI-generated content cannot.
Image by Kaizen Nguyễn
Making Your Mark: Drawing as an Act of Self-Discovery
While AI can now generate remarkably convincing visual content, it cannot experience the emotional and psychological benefits of creating art. This remains a uniquely human territory, and it’s up to you to live it.
The Psychological Benefits of Drawing
Drawing serves as a powerful tool for self-discovery and emotional processing. Research shows that regular drawing practice correlates with improved emotional resilience and self-awareness. Drawing allows us to explore emotions non-verbally, making it particularly valuable for processing complex feelings and experiences.
In my teaching practice, I’ve guided students through creative exercises that help them visualise their emotions, fears, and hopes. These drawings often reveal insights that verbal expression alone might miss. In our algorithm-driven world, this kind of authentic self-knowledge becomes increasingly precious.
The Neurological Benefits of Drawing
Drawing offers benefits throughout our lives. The physical act of drawing coordinates the eye, brain, and hand, creating neural pathways that benefit us beyond the studio.
Perhaps most compelling is the research suggesting that artistic activities may delay—and even reverse—cognitive decline. Research has shown that older adults who regularly engaged in creative activities like drawing showed improved cognitive performance. A study on older adults with mild cognitive impairment showed that participating in expressive arts activities significantly improved general cognitive function, language function, social relationships, and psychological well-being.
When was the last time you drew something by hand? Not a quick doodle during a boring meeting, but a deliberate attempt to create an image on paper.
Cultivating a Drawing Practice in 2025
For those inspired to begin or return to drawing, the good news is that the benefits begin immediately. Even simple doodling activates the neural networks associated with improved focus and information processing.
Here are some approaches I recommend to my students:
Start with observation
Draw everyday objects around you, focusing on what you actually see rather than what you think you see.
Embrace imperfection
Remember that the benefits come from the process, not just the result. Your drawings don’t need to be ‘perfect’ to be valuable.
Create a drawing ritual
Even five minutes daily builds the neural pathways that enhance cognitive benefits.
Combine with other activities
Try sketch-noting during meetings or lectures or visual journaling to process your day.
Join a community
Drawing with others amplifies the social-cognitive benefits.
Celebrating Creativity’s Enduring Relevance
In some ways, choosing to draw by hand in 2025 has become a subtle act of resistance—a declaration that despite our remarkable technologies, we value the direct human experience of making marks and meaning.
But it’s equally a celebration—of our capacity for presence, personal expression, and connecting with ourselves and others through one of humanity’s most fundamental creative acts.
AI will continue to evolve and amaze us with its capabilities. Yet the simple act of drawing—of making your unique mark—offers irreplaceable benefits for cognition, emotional well-being, and human connection that no algorithm can provide.
So pick up a pencil. Make a line. Begin the journey. In our increasingly digital world, the ancient practice of drawing by hand isn’t obsolete—it’s essential.
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References
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