doodlings
Absent-minded pen marks
Doodlings are casual, absentminded drawings or scribbles, typically made while one's attention is elsewhere—during a phone call, in a meeting, or while listening to a lecture.
The word emphasizes the informal, unplanned nature of such sketches: The margins of her notebook were filled with doodlings.
Less common than the singular doodle used collectively.
Rough, quick drawings
- scrawlCareless, illegible writing
- jottingsHastily recorded notes
- squigglesIrregular wavy lines
- scribblesHasty, careless marks
marginalia · notations · etchings · scratches · marks · lines · shapes · patterns
Inattentive to immediate surroundings
- daydreamingIdle mental wandering
- mindlessLacking thought or awareness
- unfocusedWithout clear direction
- boredomWeary disinterest from monotony
distracted · inattentive · procrastination · time-wasting · aimless · drifting · meandering · zoning out
Playfully fanciful or erratic
- quirkyIdiosyncratically unusual
- sillyFrivolous or absurd
- lightheartedCheerful and without worry
- fancifulImaginatively unrealistic
carefree · spontaneous · childlike · cartoonish · fun · imaginative · impish · mischievous
Generating many ideas freely
- ideationForming mental concepts
- inspirationSource of creative impulse
- conceptualizingForming mental representations
- visual thinkingCognition through images
mind mapping · free association · exploring · experimenting · drafting · thumbnailing · preliminary · working through
sketches
Rough, quick drawings
scribbles · marginalia · notations · etchings · scratches · marks · lines · shapes · patterns · swirls
absentminded
Inattentive to immediate surroundings
- daydreamingIdle mental wandering
- mindlessLacking thought or awareness
- unfocusedWithout clear direction
boredom · distracted · inattentive · procrastination · time-wasting · aimless · drifting · meandering · zoning out · fidgeting
whimsical
Playfully fanciful or erratic
- quirkyIdiosyncratically unusual
- sillyFrivolous or absurd
- lightheartedCheerful and without worry
fanciful · carefree · spontaneous · childlike · cartoonish · fun · imaginative · impish · mischievous · amusing
brainstorming
Generating many ideas freely
- ideationForming mental concepts
- inspirationSource of creative impulse
- conceptualizingForming mental representations
visual thinking · mind mapping · free association · exploring · experimenting · drafting · thumbnailing · preliminary · working through · problem-solving
doodlingsmasterpieces
Works of supreme skill
fine art · magnum opus · exhibition pieces · museum pieces · classical paintings