What is visual thinking?
Visual thinking is thinking in pictures, images, shapes and patterns. It’s something we do from a very early age, long before we learn to think in words.

What's so special about visual thinking?
As much as half of our brain is devoted to visual thinking and processing. It dominates what goes on inside our heads, and links directly with the emotions and the senses. Advertisers know how powerful the visual imagination is, which is why they use images and image-based language to sell things to us.

In contrast to other kinds of thinking - like number thinking and word thinking - visual thinking has been sadly neglected in our education system. This may be because it comes so naturally to children that they don't seem to need to learn how to do it. Whatever the reason, the result of this neglect is that most people never learn how to develop and realize their amazing visual thinking potential.

What are the benefits of visual thinking?
Here are just a few of them:

• Pictures make ideas more tangible – that's why people talk about the importance of having a 'vision' of where you want to get to. Visual thinking enables you to share and inspire others with your vision.

• Imagine what it would be like if you could find out what you thought or felt about something just by doing a drawing.

• Think how useful it would be if you could share your ideas with other people visually, so that you could literally see what each other mean.

• When you're looking for ways to communicate a complex idea simply and powerfully, just think how useful a drawing or cartoon could be to distil and capture its essence.

• And we all know that compelling speakers and charismatic leaders use visual imagery in their language. By learning to think visually you'll be able to draw people in and get your message across memorably and with much greater impact.

How can visual thinking skills be developed?
Drawing is a great way to get started. Find out more about how and why learning cartoon drawing can boost your thinking powers...

Once you start developing and using your own visual thinking skills you'll discover many more benefits. If you'd like to find out more, visit our library and have a look at some of our recommended books, articles and web links.