Drawing is a skill all of us are blessed with. Sure, some might be better at it than others — but as a species we’re hard wired for visuals. In fact, we communicate through pictures long before we start effectively using words.

As Gordon Mackenzie points out in Orbiting the Giant Hairball, every 5-year-old considers herself an artist, yet with each passing year fewer and fewer continue to see themselves as artistic. People get older and become self-conscious about their art. They begin to compare themselves to those they consider to be the “better” and most of us give up on a fun and therapeutic activity because we’d rather not be a little embarrassed about how we draw.

This self-selective behavior is unfortunate because drawing even simple pictures is a fun, energizing way to express your emotions, interact with your kids or get people thinking, talking and sharing their ideas in company meetings.

The reason that visual thinking is so powerful is because words can be deceptive in their meaning depending on how, when and where they are used. Pictures however, are universal and can bridge those communication gaps. I know that if I decided to travel the world, I’d bring a sketch pad to make sure people understood me.

Here are seven classic exercises that might encourage you to get drawing again. Let’s call them “Visual Meditations.” All you need is a piece of paper and a pen. Try them out as an icebreaker at your next meeting!

• Draw your self portrait.
• What is the “Super Power” you bring to this meeting?
• When our meeting is over, what does “Success” look like?
• Draw a robot that can do your job.
• What are the things tangled up in your hairball this week?
• What’s the best present you’ve ever received?
• What is your New Year’s resolution?

Remember — this is not a art contest. Rather, it’ a fun way to communicate with other people. We’d love it if you’d share your work with us because it’s really interesting to see how different people answer the same question. So post your drawings to Flickr or Twitter and encourage your friends and coworkers to give weekly Visual Meditations a try.