I Doodle Because...

"Every child is an artist.  The problem is staying an artist once you grow up."
— Pablo Picasso

We begin as creative beings full of curiosity and wonder as a bold, adventurous spirit guides our great imagination, but somewhere along the journey to adulthood, the world stifles our creative genius. I still remember that infamous day in kindergarten when my teacher scolded me for coloring the sky orange instead of blue. But who says the sky is blue? What about those early fall mornings when the birds chirp sweetly to the rhythm of a new day or those cold, rainy Sundays in the winter that make the most productive person just a little bit lazy. Well, I say it's time to get back to the days of playing dress up in your mother's closet, building forts out of some old blankets and a couple chairs, and jumping from couch to couch because the carpet has magically transformed into hot lava! As we grow older we must continue to find ways to feed our imagination and express our creative spirit on a daily basis, and this is why I doodle.

Over the years doodling has become one of my favorite things to do to keep my creative juices flowing throughout the day. When I was in high school I would often doodle during class, and it wasn't because I was bored or disinterested in the subject.  I still paid attention, and I still managed to take great notes.  Somewhere between the Lewis dot structure of carbon dioxide and the Pauli exclusion principle little hearts are dancing happily in the margins.  Now I enjoy participating in the Doodle Swap Project which allows creative folks from all over the world to create and swap a set of 3.5 x 2.5 inch mini artworks. The whole process is super fun, and whenever I receive one in the mail it makes me feel all squishy inside.  Below is a peek at my doodles for Doodle Swap 13 along with some from previous rounds.

Doodle Swap 13 (3.5 x 2.5 inch trading card and a happy note!)

Doodle Swap 12

Doodle Swap 10

Doodling is not only fun and relaxing, but it sparks creative thinking. So even on your busiest days I encourage you to nourish your creative minds, because maybe mixing and matching clothes will inspire you to study fashion design, perhaps constructing a fort out of pillows will arouse the architect within you, and maybe just maybe you'll develop enough agility and endurance trying not to get scorched by red-hot lava that you'll become the fiercest dancer anyone has ever seen.

I Am An Artist!

"If you hear a voice within you say, 'You are not a painter,' then by all means paint...and that voice will be silenced."
— Vincent van Gogh

I’m 22 years old, just graduated from the University of Virginia (Wahoowa!), and with my brother’s voice in my head exclaiming, “Say it with conviction!”, I declare, “I am an artist!” It hasn’t always been easy to embrace my artistic talent with such confidence though. I’ve always enjoyed art and crafts, but it has taken me a while to finally listen to my heart and pursue my dreams of working in the art field. When I opened my acceptance letter to the University of Virginia an ear-to-ear grin stretched across my face. Sprawled out on the floor in excitement, I considered the blessing of receiving a higher education at such a prestigious university and imagined the bright future ahead of me. My original plan was to major in Chemistry, but after two years of broken beakers, painstaking lab reports, and exposure to toxic fumes, I decided I should follow my passion and major in Art History. So here I am with a quote from Vincent van Gogh saying get rid of those negative thoughts, take the leap, and do what you love. I'm just a girl crafting, painting, and doodling for all the world to view and enjoy. Hope you like!