Self Portrait created by my daughter - age 5
It is in the last page of her sketchbook - when I asked her why she jumped to the last page, she said because "authors and artists always have their photos on the last page." : )
I have been creating a Daily Doodle everyday for the past several weeks and off and on since last summer. In November 2012, I participated in SkADaMo - Sketch a Day Month and it was soo much fun. I didn't spend more than an hour from start to finish on any drawing and some of those sketches found their way into my portfolio for a SCBWI conference a few months ago and they were the ones that the art directors enjoyed the most! I could hardly believe it. They said that they were "light and fun." As a former professional Toy Designer - when drawing became a chore and no fun at all. I vowed after SkADaMo that 2013 was my year to make drawing fun again. I have been doodling a ton and posting many of them on my Facebook page - see HERE. You can also see more of my drawings on my website.
This morning, my 5 year old - who LOVES to draw in her sketchbook and paints every day - told me that she would like to do a "Doodle a Day", too, so together we came up with a NEW CHALLENGE for artists, writers, parents, teachers, children, friends, friends of friends and anybody else who is ready to let their creativity shine.
DOODLE DAY MAY!
So here is it in a nutshell. From May 1 to May 31, create 1 or more Doodles everyday. These can take up to 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 mintutes or even an hour from start to finish but if you are spending more than an hour on a doodle, you are trying too hard. Don't overthink it. May 1-7 is also NaPiBoWriWee and this will coincide with that perfectly if you are also participating in that challenge. Come up with your story for Picture Book Writing Week, write it and create a doodle of a character, a scene, the title or any other element of the story concept. Easy. For those of you who tell everyone that you are "not an artist" or "can't draw", I say BUNK! It is a doodle! It can be a squiggle, a tree, a flower, a rainbow, a person, a pet, a pancake or anything else you can think of. No one is grading you. No one is judging you. I have created a FACEBOOK GROUP called DOODLE DAY MAY so join the challenge and the group. 
Now, I know that all of you parents have a crazy hectic month starting - for my kids, school ends at the end of May and we have six zillion events happening between now and then and as an involved parent, I have volunteered for many of them. Don't let that make you think that you can't create a Doodle each day of the month of May. If you need the help, I will post a drawing prompt on the Facebook Group page for each day for those who need a little push. As an experienced art teacher, I remember those students who would stare at the paper during free draw time at the end of class and have this blank look with no clue what to put on the page. A brilliant author/illustrator Peter H Reynolds wrote a picture book about that exact problem - THE DOT. As the book says, "Make a dot and see where it takes you." 
Parents, get your kids involved in this one. Doodle together. Take a picture with your camera or your phone and post the pic on the FACEBOOK GROUP PAGE that I will created. Leave a comment to let me know you are jumping in with me and join the Facebook Page. Know this - if you do not create a doodle every day, nobody is knocking on your door about it. NO STRESS is the key to this challenge. Write a word in funky lettering or create an abstract picture of shapes and squiggles if you can't think of something to draw. You can use pencil, pen, marker, crayon, paint, or anything else you like to draw with. 
JOIN ME FOR DOODLE DAY MAY AND LET YOUR CREATIVITY SHINE!
LEAVE A COMMENT TO LET ME KNOW YOU ARE JOINING ME ON THIS DOODLING ADVENTURE!
IF YOU WANT TO POST YOUR DOODLES ON YOUR BLOG OR FACEBOOK PAGE, LEAVE A LINK WHEN YOU DO IT AND I WILL SHARE IT!
Alison this sounds like a lot of fun I would love to participate, can't wait
ReplyDeleteYay! Please share it with writers, teachers, friends, parents, children. Let's build this community of people choosing to let their creativity shine!
DeleteSounds like fun. I'm in.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, are you joining us? Lots of fun doodles guaranteed.
DeleteIm in!
ReplyDeleteGreat! Soo glad to have you join us, Julie!
DeleteI am one of those people who can't draw. A long time ago,. I began a blog to post my attempts at drawing to see if it would improve over time. I don't think it did, but then I didn't stick with it for very long. That blog is still waiting for me, and I can use it to post my doodles in May. It sounds like fun, and I have four of my children who want to join in (Gabriella - age 10, Isabella - age 7, Connor - age 6, and Cameron - age 4)! (Even if they don't do a doodle every day, I'm sure they will try and will have fun in the process.) :)
ReplyDelete~Becky Fyfe
I am an art teacher who believes that EVERYONE can draw. I know you can. Drawing is not in the arm or the hand, it is in how you see the world. As a writer, you see your characters, you see your scenes, you see your stories unfold - you are an artist. The doodle part is getting anything you see onto the paper - doesn't have to look realistic, doesn't have to look like anything. Think Peter Reynolds and draw ISH. : ) We would love to have you and your kids join in!
DeleteCheck out the blog post that Becky Fyfe posted about DOODLE DAY MAY! http://designingdoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/doodle-day-may-challenge.html
ReplyDeleteMary Flynn posted about DOODLE DAY MAY on her blog: http://www.flynnsfineart.com/daily-doodle-challenge/
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like great fun and goes along with my dream of illustrating and designing fabrics. Count me in.
ReplyDeleteT, fabric design, soo fun! I love textile!
DeleteWhat a great idea! Just what I need to ease me back into drawing without the pressure of a finished and polished image. I am attempting NaPiBoWriWee as well, let's see what doodles inspire my stories or vice versa.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, I did PiBoIdMo (picture book idea month) and SkADaMo (sketch a day month) together last November and it was great! I could "see" my story ideas when I wrote them so creating a quick sketch was a natural outlet. The sketches help me when I return to the ideas to write the story. I am doing NaPiBoWriWee, too.
DeleteWhat an awesome idea! I'm in two picture book challenges and work best with images so this will tie right in! Thanks, Alison!
ReplyDeleteFantastic, Sue! Which challenges are you participating in? You are welcome to give them a shout out here. NaPiBoWriWee?
DeleteSue, join the facebook group and you'll see all the pists and updates throughout the challenge.
DeleteI do believe i shall take this challenge... why not!
ReplyDeleteExactly, why not? Just for fun. No judging. Just a whole lot of doodling. : )
DeleteI love this idea - when I did a similar challenge in the fall, it was excellent, so count me in!
ReplyDeleteSylvia - you were in the SkADaMo challenge, too, right? I loved it and my daughter was doodling along with me.
DeleteI need a creative break from working too hard at writing, and I think this will do the trick. I know, is it possible to work too hard at writing? For me it is. I am bordering on burnout, so time to back off and gain some balance. Thanks, Alison. Mine will be true doodles, but I know it will be therapeutic.
ReplyDeleteAlayne, great to have you joining us. Yes, doodling is very therapeutic. Especially Zentangles which will be a type of doodle that I will demonstrate during this challenge. They are the black line drawings up in the post with all the crazy patterns. Very relaxing.
DeleteI may never consider myself an illustrator, but a doodler I work towards. :) I would love to try out some doodling and join the challenge! Maybe I'll gain some artistic talent I don't realize I have. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSounds great, Sarah! Welcome to the challenge!
DeleteOh now my daily doodle will have a purpose. Thanks for this great challenge and I feel really lucky to have found your blog!
ReplyDeleteWe ae glad you found it, too, Joy! Let's doodle!
DeleteI'm in. Just like you've I've tried doing a sketch a day on and off over the past year. This will help me get motivated. And 30 days will hopefully help me develop a habit of drawing everyday.
ReplyDeleteGlad I saw this.
Definately takes the oressure off drawing perfection. Doodles don't have to be anyone or anything, just gets the arm moving and the ideas flowing.
DeleteYep, I'm going to participate!!! Not sure how palatable my doodles will be, but I will do them anyway! :) Thanks for the challenge!
ReplyDeleteYay! Join the facebook group if you can so you can see all the other doodles!
DeleteMy DD and I will gladly share our doodles!
ReplyDeleteGreat! Welcome to the group! Join the facebook group if you haven't already. : )
DeleteHi Alison,
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming up with another fun monthly challenge! It's so encouraging to have that little extra push each day!
Cheers,
Kelli
Welcome to the challenge, Kelli. Have fun doodling!
DeleteLooks like fun, Alison! Can't wait to try it.
ReplyDeleteGreat! Welcome to the challenge, Laurie. It is guaranteed doodling fun.
DeleteLaurie, I just added you to the Facebook Group - I hope you don't mind. There, you can see everyone's posts - we have about 50 doodlers.
DeleteThanks, Alison!
ReplyDeleteIm sorry i do not understand is this grown ups or children?
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was 7 years ago. It was co-led by my daughter and I for both adults and children. We ended up having over 500 people from all over the world doodling together everyday for over 5 years. It was wonderful.
Delete