It’s been awhile since I’ve done a Doodlecam, but on Monday I posted one on my blog over at melissadinwiddie.com. It’s part of a series for #ElulUnbound, and will got out via email on 9/2, but you can get a #sneekpeek at http://bit.ly/2zsRFNG right now! 🖍
I talk about how to get over fear of the blank page, how I make my improvisational art, and doodling as a spiritual practice. Oh, and letting my inner 4-year-old inhabit the tip of my pen! That’s KEY! 😊👍
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Check it out and let me know if you try it yourself!
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#doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #pigmamicron

Index card art. Made while listening to @rebekahnemethy’s #artink podcast. (Such a cool concept: each episode is a story based on a piece of art. Check it out! http://bit.ly/33WJdnw)
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#doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #pigmamicron

Happy Wednesday! Happy doodle! 🖍
Abstract doodles are a form of meditation for me. And a form of play. I let my inner 4-year-old inhabit the tip of the pen, and I give her free rein to do whatever she wants, go wherever she wants to go. 🖍
It’s not about impressing anyone, or making money, or winning awards—it’s about pure exploration and “What would happen if..?” (“Ask ‘What if..?’” is Creative Sandbox Way™ Guidepost number 6 😊)
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Improvisation is the easiest way for me to get in that mindspace. Because I’m improvising, and NOT trying to match some platonic ideal in my head, my perfectionist gremlins get confused. They can’t yammer at me that I’m doing it wrong, that I’m not good enough, etc., so they start to bump into each other and wander off. 😉
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At least, I can dream that they do that. 😅
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What helps you manage your perfectionist gremlins? Have you found a style of working that works better for you?
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#doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #pigmamicron

Two index card doodles. Why do I love doing abstract doodles so much? After all, as a #visualpractitioner, I get to draw as part of my work—isn’t that enough? Well, no. No, it’s not. 🖍
Here’s the thing: even—and perhaps *especially*—if your creative thing is your job, it is absolutely essential that you *also* have dedicated “creative sandbox” time, wholly disconnected from commerce and obligation, where you are 💯% free to explore and experiment, and not worry IN THE LEAST about the outcome.
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In other words, dedicated pure PLAYTIME. 🖍
This time MUST be held sacred. The second commerce or obligation enters, it changes your relationship to your creativity, however subtly. Over time, it can poison it. Even shut you down completely.
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Your creative sandbox time doesn’t have to be big. “Think tiny & daily” is Guidepost #4 of my book, The Creative Sandbox Way™, and the tinier the better, really, because the goal is simply to get you to DO SOMETHING, and we all know the hardest part is simply getting STARTED. So making your time commitment TINY is much more likely to lead to success than a big chunk of time you’re liable to put off!
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For me, abstract improvisational art feels like pure play. And because I’m not trying to match some platonic ideal in my head, it confuses my gremlins. I can focus on being in the moment and having FUN, rather than getting mired in perfectionism (a big trap for me!)
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What feels like pure play to you?
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#doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #dailyart #imperfectionism #letitbecrappy #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #abstractart #doodleart #creativesandboxway #creativeplay #pigmamicron

Another page from my conference notebook. I see this and remember all the things I *didn’t* capture, memories which will no doubt fade away to nothing with time, but because I took notes, I will at least remember pieces of the day. 😊
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#visualfacilitation #graphicfacilitation #visualnotes #graphicrecording #sketchnotes #sketchnote #sketchnoting #sketchnotearmy #graphicrecorder #visualthinking #neulandmarkers #pigmamicron #moleskine #vizthink #ain2019 #thejazzloft