How a 100-day doodle project helped me rekindle my childlike creativity
It all started when my older sister said that I should start drawing to pass the time during the second UK Covid lockdown in 2020. It was May and I was feeling extra tired and sick coping with my first trimester. The idea of having to stay cooped up for another 12 weeks left me feeling sad and glum.
So following my sister's advice, I decided to do a quick sketch from a photograph that I loved. But I quickly became frustrated with my attempt and I was left unhappy and at odds with myself. In drawing the faces from the photograph, in my eyes I had drawn deformed monsters!
Exasperated, I put my sketchbook down. I left believing that I wasn’t able to draw.
A few days later, my 5-year-old niece came to stay. She absolutely loves drawing. Watching her draw, she had so much passion, enthusiasm, and joy.
When she proudly showed me her final picture there was no doubt in her mind what she had drawn. It was then that I had realised what the problem was; I had simply grown up, and instead of feeling pride I was filled with self-criticism.
“Every child is an artist, it is only as we get older that we believe we are not.” — Picasso
Deciding not to put my pen down
Instead of putting down my sketchpad for another few years, I decided to make a change. I recalled a blogger named Tian Tian Xu, who set herself 100-day challenges to learn something that she wanted to get better at. Inspired by her progression, I felt that this would be a great way for me to teach myself to be able to draw again.
I started with a few ground rules to help me keep this challenge going. This loose framework helped me avoid feeling defeated on the days where I wasn’t very motivated.
- Doodle every day, but don’t be too precious if you miss any days.
- If you don’t know what to doodle then find inspiration from Pinterest.
- Don’t get stuck in the details, it’s more about the process rather than perfection.
- Keep a visual diary to help you keep track of your drawings.
It’s ok to copy
In the beginning, I didn’t really know what to doodle. This is where rule number 2 came in handy. Knowing that copying wasn’t giving up because it was part of my process really helped motivate me.
Turns out, copying drawings is much more inspiring than you’d think! It took the pressure off how something should look in my head. I found this simpler and was much happier with the outcomes.
Stop comparing yourself to others
Every time I would draw a picture, my internal voice would tell me how bad it was. I felt self-conscious, telling myself that I would never be able to draw as well as illustrators like Malika Favre. I couldn’t help but compare my drawings to hers.
To combat this self-doubt, I reframed my thinking. It wasn’t about creating something art-worthy, it was about creating a doodle that day, whether it took a minute or half an hour and sometimes looked unfinished.
By alleviating the pressure I had put on myself, I was able to draw more freely and enjoy the process rather than the outcome. In fact, looking back at my drawings, on the days when I felt I wasn’t drawing my best I actually produced some of my more interesting drawings.
Creating a habit
When Jerry Seinfeld was an up-and-coming comedian, he made a commitment to write one joke a day. He had a big calendar of the whole year on a wall in his apartment and every time he wrote a joke, he put a red X on that date.
When starting a new challenge — especially a 100 day one — it can feel intimidating looking at the 100 days ahead of you. Instead, it’s better to break it down into small, manageable amounts.
For me personally, I prefer to save things as a visual picture instead of marking a red cross on a calendar. I created an Instagram account and called it @hannahdoodled. This helped me to see my progress, like a patchwork quilt I wanted to complete by creating the next square.
It wasn’t actually until about day 6o that I realised doodling had become a habit. Whether you want to draw, write, bake, exercise… Simply break it into smaller steps, then one day it will turn into a habit.
You are unique and that is great
Originally my @hannahdoodled Instagram account was set as a private account. But after posting for a few weeks, my friend asked me why I was keeping it private. I usually love sharing my photography on Instagram. My main fear was that people would judge my drawings, hence why I wanted to keep them private.
Looking at other illustrators that I followed and loved, I noticed how different they all were. Yet I loved all of them for the uniqueness. Feeling better about my drawings, I decided to make my account public, allowing people to see and comment. In fact, it also made me feel accountable and encouraged me to post.
It’s more than just a doodle
As I carried on doodling, I realised I was getting better at drawing things with ease. I was starting to recognise my drawings as my drawings and not expecting them to look like an illustrator that I loved. The habit of drawing every day felt satisfying: I was able to see things that I would want to draw, and quite often later I would do a little doodle or sketch in my book.
Practice can make perfect, but for me, I found that practice and consistency helped me to see the work for what it is; I was accepting my drawing style whilst building on it.
Even if it’s stick men, then become really great at getting your ideas across in the simplest stickman format. Whatever you might be interested in, definitely consider doing a 100-day challenge.
