I Doodle on Newspapers

Ankita Shinde in Mumbai, India is spending year on the project I doodle on newspapers...

Why? I like doodling. Don’t like to read the newspapers. That’s why. This blog is an attempt to make me hold the newspaper in my hand everyday to doodle somewhere on it. And read a news or two while I’m at it. Here, I post my everyday doodles on the newspapers.

This is an art experiment. How art can help developing a certain habit. It started as a fun thing and now when I see, I have a lot of fun quirky portraits of people with me, doodled on the newspapers. And I now know a little more of what's happening in the world around me. I had a lot of fun doing this and the project still continues..
Hope you all enjoy!

Why did I decide to do this project? I realised that how much ever I try to cope up with current news, I would fail. I would make a point to hold the newspaper in my hand everyday, do it for a couple of days and then forget. I had even subcribed to news apps in my phone, but didn't help. I thought it was high time I must do something about this and this idea struck.

How has this project affected me? I am surprised how I am so excited every morning to go and grab the newspaper before anyone, to search people's face and decide who is going to get doodled today! :D Although my excitement is purely for doodling, but in the process I happen to read a news or two. And I am so glad that I finally managed to trick myself into reading news daily :)

See all of Ankita's doodles HERE.

The Tangled Year

Chris Matthai in Salt Lake City, Utah is creating 365 sketches & doodles in The Tangled Year...

Why did you decide to do this project? I have wanted to develop my drawing skills for many years now. I have no formal art training except for having some really great teachers in high school 30 years ago. I needed something to force me to be more diligent in carrying my sketchbook everywhere and actually using it. By creating such a public project I know I will stick with it. I thought it would be fun and possibly inspire others as they watch my sketches (hopefully) get better throughout the year.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Nothing has changed too much yet since I am only into this experiment since the beginning of this year. I am excited to see the enthusiasm some people have shown for the project, especially on Facebook. I noticed I am not just sketching just anything I see or just doodling everything that flies through my head. I seem to have become concerned with the actual content my sketches have. I seem to want some feelings to be transferred from me to anyone who might be watching. This could be good or bad. I haven't really decided yet. On one hand, that's what art is for right? On the other hand, these are just sketches and not finished pieces. I've noticed I'm not as hesitant to pull out my sketchbook as I was before. That's a huge leap for me. Now I need to not worry about what strangers think when I am drawing them.

See all of Chris's doodles HERE.

Swirly Doodles

Ashley in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is doing a year of Swirly Doodles and explains "this is a simple project that is just small drawings that swirl back and forth between themselves. Each doodle starts with an almond-shaped base in the center and expands from there using parallel lines. They are always symmetrical, either bilaterally or radially."

Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to do this project mostly as a motivational tool, and to see if I could keep it going as an indication of whether or not I'm mentally prepared to tackle a more time intensive project I have an idea for.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Since this is a rather simple project it really hasn't affected my life. I can usually multitask well enough, and each doodle only takes a maximum of 3-4 hours if I'm not giving it my full concentration. A few times I've come down to the wire and had to whip up something I wasn't particularly proud of, and those have sometimes kept me awake a little longer than I might have stayed up normally with college classes in the morning, but over all I'd say it's been a low impact and enjoyable experience. I think so far I am going to proceed with my other project idea starting on January 1st. I don't think the overlap in ideas will cause too much trouble since as I said before, this is rather low impact and simplistic in comparison.

See all of Ashley's doodles HERE.

Doodle Daily Follow-Up

I've decided to periodically check back in with some folks who have completed their 365 projects...

Warren Beinart recently passed the 800th day mark on The Doodle Daily project which he started on June 30th, 2009. 

Why did you continue after the end of your first year? I kept the project going, because I was having so much fun.  I have also met some really amazing and creative people along the way and they would be most disappointed if I broke my streak.

What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project so far? I learned that I have a creative, artistic side that I had never truly explored.  Even I am surprised sometimes with what I produce.  I have also enjoyed the routine of having to create something new on a daily basis and ensuring it is posted regularly.

In what ways has the project changed your life? I am more disciplined.  The project has given me a creative outlet that I have always wanted to explore.  I enjoy sharing my artwork with others.  I would really like to get my work published, so that I can influence others to unleash their own creativity, without being afraid.  So a book is definitely in the pipeline (I just have no clue where to start).

Do you ever foresee this project coming to an end and do you have any other projects in the works? I will keep going as long as it does not become stale and I am able to produce new work.  A spin off from my project was to engage others to share their artwork, which I would in turn post online.  In doing so, I created the "World Doodle Challenge" and invited followers to share their own doodles with me.  I have since received countless pieces from all over the world.  My quest is to gather 1,000,000 doodles (which I know is a rather tall order) my motto is to "Unite the world one doodle at a time"   I have been fortunate to be featured on local radio i the DC area, so my aim is to go national with the challenge and help get me closer to my goal.

The project has also helped my grow my graphic design and social networking business.

See Warren's original 365 interview HERE.
And see all of his doodles HERE.

Have you finished your own 365 project? I'd love to hear from you!

Doodle-E-Dooz

Terri Rodabaugh in Frederick, MD is sketching daily in Doodle-E-Dooz...

Why did you decide to do this project? I used to be heavily into art but many years have passed where I've done nothing with it. I am of the hopes that this will spur me on to do more and get back into it.  It used to bring me such joy.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I have only done a few posts so far, but am looking forward to the next 363 days...lol

See all of Terri's doodles HERE.

NerDoodle

Emily in Massachusetts is making a daily NerDoodle, which she says, " is a way to challenge me to go out of my comfort zones with mediums I don't normally use and force my creative mind to function even when it is not feeling inspired."...

Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to do this project because a friend of mine brought it up to me and said she was going to do it. I was intrigued and wanted to jump on board and see if I could take the challenge. I had been in creative slump for quite some time and felt this would pull me out of it and put me on an artistic path again.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? This project has helped me immensely with my self confidence and seems to have rebooted my creative brain. I am feeling inspired once again and sometimes find myself excited to make my daily project. Yet I will say this has been a challenge for sure because some days are better than others. But I feel that even if I am not feeling inspired some days, pushing myself to be so really does help and sometimes that's when I surprise myself and do my best work. I am wondering what I am going to do once I have reached day 365 but I am excited to find out!

See all of Emily's NerDoodle's HERE.

Doodle a Day

Anne Gratton in Johns Creek, Georgia is making a Doodle a Day...

Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to do this project to get me out of a rut I had been in for many years.  I was a decorative painter and loved painting-but felt the urge to
try my hand at other things.  My mind kept telling me to go to Mixed Media – but I felt trapped by the "rules" I had put in my own head. You know-things are suppose to "look" a certain way.
A friend of mine told me about your book 365: A Daily Creativity Journal.  I bought it and instantly decided I would do a Doodle a Day.  So I start with a line or a circle and create from there.  No limitations other than once a mark is made it stays on the paper.  It is very fun to see what happens everyday.

How has doing the yearlong/daily project affected your life? I give myself 10-15 minutes to "free flow".  I have told my friends I will be doing a Doodle a day.  Knowing that I have to put my pencil/pen/sharpie to paper and then publish it on my Facebook page gives me a feeling of accomplishment. My friends have come to expect to see my Doodle of the Day and I enjoy their comments. As far as the Mixed Media-I have started doing a few canvases.  I find that I am not as intimidated, as before, to start a new project--I just start  and see where my inner spirit takes me.  That bravery (lol) came from me just doodling daily and just letting it happen :)

Doodle Daily

Warren Beinart in North Potomac, Maryland was always a doodler, but started making a doodle every day over a year ago and shows no signs of slowing down on The Doodle Daily...

Why did you decide to do this project? Since the beginning, I have said that it was your appearance on Martha Stewart (when my partner Lisa was in the audience and brought back your book) that inspired me to start this 365 project.  In fact I have had that listed on the FAQs on my site since day 1.  I love to create and being able to share that creativity with others is so rewarding.  I would love to memorialize my year long journey in a book of my own.  I just don't know where to start, but is is definitely a goal of mine as a progress through year 2 of the project. 

How has doing a daily project affected your life? I find that drawing is very relaxing and zen-like and it is an incredible escape, so forcing myself to do it every day has helped my calm down and express the creative side that I had always kept hidden.  From the project I have expanded to include my doodles in my greeting cards coming up with many new and fun ideas. My range of greeting cards is actually  for sale on the site just in time for Hanukkah & Christmas.

Over the year the blog was featured on 2 major DC radio station morning shows.  It was included in a list of the top 10 blogs in the DC area by WTOP listeners.  I had articles written up about the site in on websites such as Art of Day and was a featured guest on a weekly online radio broadcast.

You can see all of Warren's doodles on his site HERE.

In addition, Warren started a World Doodle Challenge with the moto of "Uniting the world 1 doodle at a time" and a goal of 1,000,000 doodles submitted from around the globe. Why not add your own today?