Doodle Video Strategies

Recipes for Connection, developed by Dr. Jessica Bianchi and Ms. Amber Cromwell, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and Board Certified Art Therapists, is an innovative arts-based social-emotional learning program that harnesses the power of creative doodling to achieve multiple educational objectives. Their research-backed approach focuses on self-management and self-awareness, utilizing doodling as a powerful tool for enhancing focus, processing emotions, and reducing stress while building individual reflection skills and community connections.

The four core doodle strategies are introduced through engaging five-minute video vignettes featuring Dr. Bianchi and Karla Sequeira. These are explicitly designed as warm-up activities for staff meetings and classroom sessions. These brief but impactful videos help prepare participants' minds for learning by creating a relaxed, receptive state and setting the stage for the upcoming activities. The vignettes serve as instructional tools and brain-ready exercises, demonstrating how simple artistic practices can create powerful educational and emotional outcomes.

Through their company Recipes for Connection, Dr. Bianchi and Ms. Cromwell have created an integrated framework that supports academic and personal growth with professionally designed materials, including classroom calm-down kits, individual doodle kits, and SEL activity decks that enhance the learning experience.

These strategies are presented through engaging five-minute video vignettes that can open staff meetings or classroom sessions, effectively setting the stage for deeper learning and emotional engagement. The videos, featuring Dr. Bianchi and Ms. Sequeira, demonstrate the techniques and model the playful, accepting attitude that makes these exercises effective for social-emotional learning and community building.