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How Doodling Unlocks Your Imagination | Joe Whale | TED

Artist Joe Whale used to get in trouble for doodling in class, until a local restaurant let him cover an entire wall with his artwork … and the internet took notice. He traces his unlikely beginning to a bigger story: your imagination is a muscle, and it weakens when you hand it off to AI.…

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Artist Joe Whale used to get in trouble for doodling in class, until a local restaurant let him cover an entire wall with his artwork … and the internet took notice. He traces his unlikely beginning to a bigger story: your imagination is a muscle, and it weakens when you hand it off to AI. Through a live doodling demo, he shows in real time what it looks like to let a thought become a drawing, one line at a time. (Recorded at Play@TED on May 14, 2026)

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14 Comments

14 Comments

  1. @놔루토

    August 30, 2026 at 11:02 am

    HE IS SO SMART

  2. @youthislie

    August 30, 2026 at 11:04 am

    Xd

  3. @KarthikeyaAsrams

    August 30, 2026 at 11:15 am

    Somehow this is calming me

  4. @doubleuenbeeeh

    August 30, 2026 at 11:17 am

    Very first lines “I couldn’t stop” “I stopped”

    • @ofAwxen

      August 30, 2026 at 6:02 pm

      Hasan Piker shocked his dog, he can’t stop

  5. @harrypearle9781

    August 30, 2026 at 12:53 pm

    MESSAGING? How about trying to DOODLE to convey specific MESSAGES or LESSONS, too?
    ================================================================ Smart Art ? TNX

  6. @andyjulia

    August 30, 2026 at 1:23 pm

    Nicely done young man!

    I used to doodle like this when I was a teenager while hanging out in my bedroom or talking on the phone. I need to get back to being creative.

  7. @StrictlyPerformative

    August 30, 2026 at 2:53 pm

    Doodling is safe—AI can’t generate art on a bathroom stall.

    • @AlbanAwan

      August 30, 2026 at 7:41 pm

      …yet

  8. @RitaRi-Taki

    August 30, 2026 at 3:34 pm

    I never stop my pupils from doodling, I give them extra sheets of paper if they need to keep doodling. I have referred to this young man, as the doodle boy to my pupils and hoped to inspire them. Well done doodle boy ❤❤❤

  9. @tedwitus

    August 30, 2026 at 6:31 pm

    He sounds very much like “Hi Ren”. Another misunderstood creative genius.

  10. @katchrist_

    August 30, 2026 at 6:57 pm

    I doodle at work 🎉 i’ve made some pretty unique art

  11. @justiceforall2673

    August 30, 2026 at 7:32 pm

    Interesting artwork the skateboard he drew looked like a car with a smile to me.🤔🧐

  12. @FMFvideos

    August 30, 2026 at 7:36 pm

    That’s the biggest pen I’ve ever seen.

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