DAILY DOODLES
I started doodling feelings, states of being, life seasons daily, like a drawing meditation. Here’s how it went.
DAILY DOODLES
I started doodling feelings, states of being, life seasons daily, like a drawing meditation. Here’s how it went.
ROLE
Doodle Artist
SKILLS
Procreate, Illustration
ROLE
Doodle Artist
SKILLS
Procreate, Illustration
INTENTION
My masters in Creative Technology was one of the most nourishing, expansive times of my life. It stretched my mind on a daily basis, allowing me perceive more truths, more possibilities, more nuance, — and create from there. I felt high on life. And it was incredible to have that energy fuel my work, instead of “shoulds”, fear, or scarcity.
When I returned to full-time work, that juice was nowhere to be found. It hit me so hard, it felt like withdrawal. I experimented with different creative outlets I could channel creative energy into, that would also give me energy back. I taught myself 3D modelling (more on that here), but the time commitment and steep learning curve didn’t play nice with my full-time agency job.
So I decided to build a creative practice that would be so simple, I could show up for it even on days that I only had a couple minutes to dedicate to it. I was also curious to explore sitting with emotions without intellectualizing the shit out of them. And boom, my doodling journey started.
INTENTION
My masters in Creative Technology was one of the most nourishing, expansive times of my life. It stretched my mind on a daily basis, allowing me perceive more truths, more possibilities, more nuance, — and create from there. I felt high on life. And it was incredible to have that energy fuel my work, instead of “shoulds”, fear, or scarcity.
When I returned to full-time work, that juice was nowhere to be found. It hit me so hard, it felt like withdrawal. I experimented with different creative outlets I could channel creative energy into, that would also give me energy back. I taught myself 3D modelling (more on that here), but the time commitment and steep learning curve didn’t play nice with my full-time agency job.
So I decided to build a creative practice that would be so simple, I could show up for it even on days that I only had a couple minutes to dedicate to it. I was also curious to explore sitting with emotions without intellectualizing the shit out of them. And boom, my doodling journey started.
PRACTICE
The commitment wasn’t to make a thing everyday. I was working on my attachment to “output” and “creativity as production”, so that would have been a slippery slope. Instead, I committed to showing up for the practice every day. Every day, I’d sit with my iPad and either start a doodle, or continue a previous one. If wanted to stop, I’d stop. I wanted this practice to be rooted in play, ease, and flexibility (vs. obligation, guilt or shame).
This journey has been incredibly enriching and I cherish it so much. Not only has it helped me work on detachment, presence, and consistency — sharing those doodles with others has felt both incredibly vulnerable, and intimately connecting.
PRACTICE
Now that we had a crystal-clear “what”, I used wires to iterate on the “how”: the functionality. I tagged team with Engineering to define components and interactions based on our technical constraints (e.g. selecting a component library to accelerate the design-to-build transition, technical dependencies). As I owned copy on this feature, I used this step to a) align with XFN collaborators (e.g. Legal, Marketing, Clinical) on what we needed to communicate on key screens, and b) iterate on the more intuitive and human way to convey those messages.
FUN FACT
Outside of design, I practice as a coach. This year, I’ve started incorporating some of these doodles as visual aids in sessions with clients. It’s been truly incredible to see others connect with them in such a personal, visceral way. One thing I’ve noticed is that when used in sessions, the doodles point us straight to the tender parts needing care and awareness. It helps us cut through the “noise”: guilt/discomfort/shame we may have about what we’re experiencing, any shyness around getting vulnerable in the presence of another person, what we think we “should” feel, etc.
FUN FACT
Outside of design, I practice as a coach. This year, I’ve started incorporating some of these doodles as visual aids in sessions with clients. It’s been truly incredible to see others connect with them in such a personal, visceral way. One thing I’ve noticed is that when used in sessions, the doodles point us straight to the tender parts needing care and awareness. It helps us cut through the “noise”: guilt/discomfort/shame we may have about what we’re experiencing, any shyness around getting vulnerable in the presence of another person, what we think we “should” feel, etc.
