International Scribble Day is observed on March 27th each year. Scribble Day is all about celebrating the creativity and artistic talent that we all share. If you don’t draw or write every day, take some time this Sunday to enjoy the stress-relieving act of one of the oldest forms of expression, scribbling.

The word scribble can be traced back to the Latin root scribere, which means in the simplest form ‘to write’. The day was founded recently by author Diane Alber, who wrote “I’m NOT just a Scribble”, in 2019. Her book focuses on acceptance, determination, and creativity, and encourages children no matter their ability to create art.

International Scribble Day has become popular across the United States as students, schools and libraries alike are using this opportunity to encourage activities surrounding creative writing or scribbling, which is considered drawing or writing aimlessly without any meaning. Scribbling permits a free form of expression, which students writing to complete assignments do not get to enjoy.

How can you celebrate Scribble Day?

The Friends and Foundation of Albany Public Library and Albany Public Library are asking everyone to take an hour for scribbling this Sunday! This might be some nice relaxing downtime to free your mind, or you might gear up and put some of those great ideas on paper. Either way, this hour is just what we all need. So get Scribbling! Write about an event, write about a day in your life, write a poem, just carelessly write and draw pictures for one hour this Sunday. Celebrate creative expression!

Do you need a pencil or paper or some ideas? Take a trip to you local library: they will have supplies to get you started on creating your own creative scribble. (Tell them it’s for #NationalScribbleDay!)

And, if you would like to share your scribble, post a picture on social media and tag it with #NationalScribbleDay @AlbanyNYLibrary !

Robert Mornan is a 2021-2022 “Touhey Fellow” at the Albany Public Library and a current student of Information Science at University at Albany. Mornan is the technology director for Skribblers Magazine, A a non-profit children’s magazine serving the Capital Region to encourage creativity and literacy in young artists and writers between the ages of 4 and 12 years old.