Perhaps you’ve seen my crazy doodle Facebook posts, the ones filled with words and colorful images/saying/ideas, or maybe you’ve seen my offerings for the Doodle Meditation Course, or quite possibly you’ve even thought to yourself: I’d love to do that…but I’m not an artist!
Well, I’m here to tell you that YOU CAN! YOU CAN DOODLE, TOO! With markers. Just like me.
Here are my 5 TIPS for getting a marker doodle practice of your own started.
- Have the Right Mindset – there is no way to do this wrong. You do not have to be a self-proclaimed artist in order to do this (although I would argue we all have an artist within), you do not have to be “creative” (although I would argue you are), and you do not have to “BE” anything other than YOU. You are enough. All you need to do is bring an open mind and wiling spirit to the page. The rest takes care of itself.
- Enjoy this and Make It Fun – this is not meant to be work or take a lot of effort. Marker doodling is meant to be a form of active relaxation, a way to unwind, to process, to get creative, and to find some inner quiet, joy, and peace among the chaos of the day. It’s meant to be FUN. Don’t take it too seriously.
- Content – what do I doodle??? ANYTHING! I often times will pull up a TED Talk on YouTUBE, find a topic of interest to me, and doodle what’s being presented. Or I’ll find an MP3 that I’ve been wanting to listen to and bring it up on my iTunes and doodle it. Or I’ll download a self-help book and doodle what I’m hearing…these days, I doodle just about anything. You can also doodle to your favorite music/song, a TV show, or a conversation in a coffee shop. You can doodle your phone conversation, a session with your therapist, or just the thoughts in your head. EVERYTHING is doodle material!
- Time to Doodle – set aside time in your day to establish your doodle practice. It won’t happen if you don’t. And the more you do it, the more you’ll want to do it. Maybe in the beginning, you set aside just 5 minutes each day to doodle; maybe you set aside 5 hours. Whatever feels good and right and serves YOU. There’s NO WAY to do this wrong. All you have to do is show up to your page, lift your markers, and allow the doodle to flow from there.
- Buy GOOD Supplies – You’ve GOT to invest in some supplies that make you FEEL GOOD when you use them, that you look forward to working with, that excite the artist within.To get started Doodling, you need TWO THINGS: DECENT MARKERS & A MIXED MEDIA PADMARKERS: I prefer SHARPIE markers for beginner-doodlers because they are BRIGHT, BOLD, and EASY TO FIND just about anywhere. They come in a variety of colors (I think there’s even an “80’s Glam” line out there right now) and points (thick, med, fine, etc.). And, best of all, they won’t break your budget. 24 of these babies will run you no more than $20 clams, in most places across the US. Other markers I like: PRISMACOLOR, PROMARKER, and (if all else fails) Crayola Markers will work in a pinch. And if you’re looking for professional-grade markers to invest in, lemme know! I got resources for those too.
MIXED MEDIA PAD: 9×12 or larger. Bigger is not always better, but it is in this case. LARGE pages will allow you LOTS of room to create, to let your mind wander, to let your ideas flow through the markers and onto the page. You will be amazed at how quickly you can fill up a large piece of paper. And note: Mixed Media pads are not cheap (they can run upwards of $25 for 20 or so sheets) but they are worth every penny. They DON’T allow the markers to bleed through, saving you money in the end, and they feel SO GOOD to the touch, like real “artist paper.” Give it a try and you’ll see what I mean. (Tip: look for coupons and sales at local art stores and big box supply houses to save $).
PS. There are some really cool Doodle apps out there, too. If you’d like resources on those, just email me or PM me on FB.
Now go have fun doodling, and PLEASE feel free to share your doodles on my Facebook fan page! I love to see what you’re doodling out there!
xoxox,
