Learning to Perceive with Betty Edwards

The foundational study of drawing as a means to see the world as a whole

Betty’s book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was published first in 1979. I have been faithfully ingesting her text week by week with the few friends that have generously supported my Substack with a paid subscription.

I was genuinely enthralled with this book as a means to succinctly and completely break down the skill of drawing. It turns out, this text about the art of perception.
Perception is a skill that changes the way you think and process the world around you.

If you want better thinkers, and big picture problem solving, you should teach children to draw as a twin skill to teaching them to read. Teach both side by side.

So says Betty forty years ago… and today. If you watch this video you will see her optimism about future generations that might make a connection that was proven by neuroscientists decades ago. Teaching children to draw is not about teaching them to become artists—but about teaching them how to perceive the world.

Betty Edwards is a treasure. She is now 99 years old but at the time of this talk with McGill University students she was 96. I encourage you to spend the entire hour watching because you will be enriched beyond measure.