Table of Contents >> Show >> Hide
- What Is “Hey Pandas, Put Some Simple Drawings Here” Really About?
- Why Simple Drawings Are Secretly Powerful
- Simple Drawing Ideas Anyone Can Post
- How to Join a Simple Drawing Thread Like a Pro Panda
- Turning Simple Drawings into a Small Daily Ritual
- Real-Life Experiences from Simple Drawing Threads
- Conclusion: Grab a Pen, Panda
Sometimes your brain is tired, your inbox is terrifying, and yet your hand is suddenly
drawing a tiny dinosaur riding a skateboard in the corner of your notebook. That, dear
panda, is exactly the cozy chaos that a thread like “Hey Pandas, Put Some Simple Drawings
Here” is made for.
On Bored Panda, Hey Pandas threads are where everyday people share their art, stories,
and random creativity with zero pressure and lots of encouragement. Instead of polished
gallery pieces, these simple drawings are the doodles on receipts, quick sketchbook
moments, or little comics scribbled during a boring Zoom call.
This isn’t about being “good at art.” It’s about opening a low-stakes space to draw,
laugh, and connect. And it turns out that these simple drawings do a lot more than just
decorate your margins they can boost your mood, your focus, and even your sense of
community.
What Is “Hey Pandas, Put Some Simple Drawings Here” Really About?
If you’re new to the Hey Pandas universe, think of it as a friendly, ongoing group
activity. Someone posts a prompt “Share your best and worst drawings,” “Post a collage
of your sketches,” or “Show us a character you invented” and people drop their work in
the comments.
A simple drawing thread fits right into that vibe. The idea is:
- You draw something small and simple (no 40-hour masterpiece required).
- You snap a quick photo or scan it.
- You post it, maybe add a short caption or story.
- You scroll through everyone else’s drawings, reacting, laughing, and cheering them on.
You’ll see everything: wobbly stick figures, surprisingly detailed sketches, one-line
drawings of famous characters, and wholesome cartoons that quietly punch you in the
feelings.
The magic isn’t in perfection it’s in honesty. People share art that’s silly,
vulnerable, unfinished, or deeply personal, and the community responds with kindness.
Why Simple Drawings Are Secretly Powerful
1. They Melt Stress Without You Noticing
Research on doodling and casual drawing shows that even a short art session can lower
stress hormones like cortisol and help you feel calmer and more grounded.
You don’t need training, fancy supplies, or huge blocks of time just a pen, a scrap of
paper, and a few minutes.
When you’re focused on drawing a tiny cat in a teacup, your brain gets a break from
doom-scrolling and anxious thoughts. Your nervous system goes, “Oh, we’re safe enough to
make tiny doodle frogs. Cool. I can relax now.”
2. They Improve Focus and Memory
Doodling isn’t the enemy of concentration it often helps. Studies suggest that
drawing or doodling while listening can improve recall and keep your brain engaged,
preventing it from drifting into full-on daydream mode.
That’s why simple drawing threads feel so satisfying: you’re using just enough mental
energy to stay present, but not so much that it feels like hard work. It’s the mental
equivalent of a relaxing walk instead of a sprint.
3. They Unlock Everyday Creativity
Doodling patterns, characters, or random objects activates creative areas of the brain
and encourages divergent thinking the kind of thinking where new ideas spark from
unexpected places.
You might start with a simple line and suddenly realize it could be a mountain, or a
dragon tail, or a sleepy snake wearing a party hat. Simple drawings train you to see
possibilities where other people see empty space.
4. They Support Mental Health and Emotional Expression
Many artists use sketches and doodles to process feelings like anxiety, sadness, or
overwhelm. Small, expressive images can capture mood and emotion in a way that’s hard to
describe in words.
In a community thread, that emotional layer becomes even more powerful: someone shares a
drawing about social anxiety or burnout, and dozens of people reply, “Same,” “I feel
this,” or “Thank you for sharing.” A simple drawing becomes a quiet kind of group
therapy without anyone having to overshare in text.
Simple Drawing Ideas Anyone Can Post
Not sure what to draw? The beauty of a Hey Pandas drawing thread is that there are no
rules but a few gentle prompts can help you get started. Online art challenge
communities often use small, playful prompts to help people show up consistently without
overthinking.
Quick Prompts for Shy Pandas
- Draw your favorite snack as if it were a character with a face and personality.
- Draw your current mood as weather (storm cloud, soft sunshine, chaotic tornado, etc.).
- Draw your pet or your dream pet in three lines or less.
- Draw “you” as a simple cartoon with one exaggerated feature (huge hair, big glasses, tiny feet).
- Draw an object on your desk without lifting your pen from the paper.
- Draw a plant real or imaginary that you wish you owned.
- Draw a tiny comic with just three panels and stick figures.
Fun Themes for a Whole Thread
If you were hosting a simple drawing thread, you could organize it around:
- “One-Line Characters” – Try drawing people or fictional characters in a single continuous line.
- “Sketchbook Confessions” – Share the messy page you usually hide at the back.
- “Before & After” – Post an older drawing next to a newer version of the same idea.
- “Draw Your Comfort Object” – That mug, hoodie, blanket, or controller you always reach for.
- “Mini Monsters” – Silly creatures the size of a paperclip that live in your backpack or desk drawer.
The goal is not to impress but to participate. Your drawing doesn’t have to be “good;”
it just has to be yours.
How to Join a Simple Drawing Thread Like a Pro Panda
Step 1: Lower the Bar (Seriously)
You’re not applying to art school. A quick ballpoint doodle on lined paper is welcome.
Many Bored Panda posts feature art made in everyday sketchbooks, loose sheets, or
notebook margins it’s the idea and the heart that count.
Step 2: Grab Whatever Tools You Have
Fancy markers and watercolor sets are great, but completely optional. A short supplies
list for a simple drawing:
- Any pen or pencil (yes, the free pen from the bank works).
- Paper, a notebook page, sticky note, or even the back of a receipt.
- Optional: a black fineliner or marker to trace over your favorite lines.
The fewer tools you have to choose from, the less time you’ll spend deciding and the
more time you’ll spend drawing.
Step 3: Give Yourself a Tiny Time Limit
Perfectionism loves open-ended time. Try a 5–10 minute timer:
- Set a timer.
- Pick a simple prompt.
- Draw until the timer ends then stop.
This keeps the drawing light and playful. If you like the sketch, you can always
develop it later.
Step 4: Photograph and Post Without Over-Editing
Take a quick, clear photo in good light, crop out distractions, and you’re done. There’s
no need for filters, heavy retouching, or perfect scanning. Community threads often
specifically encourage honest, unedited posts, because they want to see real progress
and real process.
Step 5: Be a Wholesome Comment Panda
Half the fun is in the comments. Here’s how to build the kind of community that makes
people want to keep posting:
- Point out something specific you like (the expression, the pose, the color choice).
- Encourage beginners “I love this little character; please draw more of them!”
- Share your own struggles so others feel less alone (“My hands always come out funky too, your style is super charming”).
- Skip harsh critique unless it’s clearly asked for this is about sharing, not scoring.
Turning Simple Drawings into a Small Daily Ritual
A thread like “Hey Pandas, Put Some Simple Drawings Here” is fun as a one-time thing, but
it can also kick-start a lasting habit. People who doodle regularly often report better
creative flow, less stress, and more moments of genuine presence in their day.
Build a Tiny, Realistic Drawing Routine
Try folding drawing into moments that already exist:
- While your coffee brews, draw the mug you’re about to use.
- During a meeting (where it’s okay to multitask), doodle abstract shapes or patterns.
- At night, draw one thing from your day you want to remember.
Experts who study doodling and creative routines suggest that short, consistent sessions
are more helpful than rare, long ones. Even 5–15 minutes of simple drawing can refresh
your brain and help process thoughts.
Use Prompts, But Keep Them Gentle
Prompt lists from online art challenges like “draw your favorite food,” “sketch a
scene from a book,” or “make a self-portrait in a silly style” are great inspiration,
as long as they don’t become homework.
If a prompt stresses you out, change it, shrink it, or ignore it. The goal is playful
exploration, not performance.
Let Your Style Be “Simple on Purpose”
Many beloved illustrators online lean into simple, minimalist shapes and clear lines.
Their work feels charming and expressive, not because it’s hyper-detailed, but because
it communicates an idea cleanly and honestly.
Your simple drawings can be the same. Use:
- Round, soft shapes for cute and cozy moods.
- Angular lines for more energetic or dramatic feelings.
- Exaggerated features (big eyes, tiny hands, long limbs) to show personality quickly.
The more you draw, the more your “simple style” starts to look like a recognizable visual
language that’s uniquely yours.
Real-Life Experiences from Simple Drawing Threads
To really understand the charm of a post like “Hey Pandas, Put Some Simple Drawings
Here,” imagine how it feels to join one of these threads for the first time.
You’ve had a long, exhausting day. Your to-do list is still glaring at you from the
corner of your desk, and you open the internet fully intending to zone out for a few
minutes. Instead, you stumble across a thread full of small drawings some adorable,
some chaotic, some surprisingly emotional.
One person shares a shaky pen drawing of their cat, with the caption: “He’s much cuter in
real life, I swear.” Another person posts sketchbook pages that are pure scribbles with
the note: “Practicing not being a perfectionist today.” Someone else shares a drawing
about their mental health journey a little character pushing a heavy cloud and the
comment section fills up with support.
You start thinking, “Okay, maybe I can do this too.” So you reach for the nearest pen
and whatever paper is available. You decide to draw your favorite mug the chipped one
that mysteriously makes coffee taste better. The handle is crooked. The perspective is
questionable. But there’s something sweet about it. It looks like your mug.
You take a quick picture, crop out the background chaos on your desk, and hit “post.”
For a second, your brain spins: “What if people think it’s bad? What if no one cares?”
Then you get your first comment: “I love this mug, it looks like it gives legendary hot
chocolate.” Another: “This feels so cozy.” Someone adds their own mug drawing in
response, and suddenly it feels like a tiny, warm art exchange between strangers.
Over the next few days, you check back in. You see your drawing sitting alongside dozens
of others: doodled dragons, wobbly portraits, one-line animals, pages of random shapes,
and a few genuinely jaw-dropping pieces made by more experienced artists. Instead of
feeling intimidated, you notice something else everyone is in the same sandbox,
playing with the same tools: paper, ink, imagination.
Maybe the next evening, you draw again. This time, you decide to turn your stress into
a character: a tiny blob creature carrying a backpack labeled “emails.” The drawing
makes you laugh, and when you share it, other people immediately relate. A simple doodle
becomes a shared inside joke about being overwhelmed adults who still feel like kids
with homework.
Over a week or two, you realize you’re actually looking forward to these tiny drawing
sessions. They become your buffer between “work brain” and “home brain,” a ritual that
gives you a soft landing at the end of the day. You start keeping a small sketchbook or
stack of sticky notes within reach, just in case a new idea pops up.
You don’t call yourself an artist. You don’t suddenly start painting huge canvases.
But your hand has become more comfortable drawing little characters, and your mind feels
less judged when it wants to play. You catch yourself seeing the world in lines and
shapes the curve of a plant leaf, the way your pet curls up, the pattern of shadows on
the wall. It’s like the drawing thread quietly rewired your brain to notice beauty in
small places.
That’s the deeper gift of a prompt like “Hey Pandas, Put Some Simple Drawings Here.” It
looks like a casual scroll-break, but it often becomes the place where people:
- Try art again after years of telling themselves they’re “not creative.”
- Find support when they share drawings about anxiety, grief, or burnout.
- Build a habit of drawing that fits into real life instead of fighting against it.
- Discover a personal style that grows out of their so-called “mistakes.”
In a world that constantly asks you to produce, optimize, and hustle, there’s something
quietly radical about sitting down, drawing a tiny frog in a party hat, and posting it
just to make strangers smile. Simple drawings may only take a few minutes to create, but
the joy, connection, and mental clarity they spark can stay with you much longer.
Conclusion: Grab a Pen, Panda
“Hey Pandas, Put Some Simple Drawings Here” is more than a cute title. It’s an open
invitation: step away from perfection, grab whatever pen you’ve got, and let your hand
wander for a while. Your drawing doesn’t have to be realistic, impressive, or even
symmetrical. It just has to exist.
Simple drawings are stress relief, a focus tool, a creativity workout, and a way to
say, “Here’s a tiny piece of my brain today does anyone else feel like this?” And if
you post your doodle in a kind, supportive community, the answer is almost always yes.
So, panda, the next time you see a thread asking for simple drawings, don’t scroll past.
Draw the weird thing. Post the messy sketch. You never know who might need exactly that
little scribble to brighten their day.
