ADVERTISEMENT

I remember the moment so distinctly: I was sitting at work, getting ready to listen to an all-company presentation. I was giddy. And no, definitely not over the hour-long meeting of finance updates and trend graphs I was about to endure. I was giddy because I finally realized what I wanted to do with the year 2017. 2017 was the year I was going to start a doodle Instagram account, and use it as my daily diary documenting simple everyday life and funny problems encountered. I had been struggling with getting into the swing of "adulthood" after graduating from college a few years prior and had been searching for something more ever since. I was longing for a creative outlet, one that could help me express my struggles, my wins, my... well, everything. An Instagram account seemed like the perfect way to hold me accountable for drawing every day, and it held a special place in my heart because it's where I found the artist who inspired me to embrace simple doodling: Mari Andrew.

So, I rummaged around my apartment for some old colored pencils and markers and purchased a small $10 sketchbook. I excitingly drew 10 little (and very bad, now that I look back at them...) doodles I had thought up out of the excitement of starting a new project. I snapped some very bad pictures of those funny doodles in some very bad light, and voila: uploaded them to my new Instagram account Decade2Doodles.

I posted a small drawing a day every day for over a year and found so much joy in doing so. Decade2Doodles helped me grow and express myself in a way I had never expected. And, best of all, it introduced me to a whole lot of wonderful people out there, all feeling and sharing and hoping and living just like me.

Decade2Doodles taught me that you don't have to be perfect to start something or be understood. It's also taught me that change can be exciting, no matter which stages it's at - whether it's the decision to start a project or the decision to switch it up! I recently went digital with my drawing ideas, which has been a fun change of pace and makes me feel like I'm still learning and growing as an artist.

I feel incredibly lucky to be able to share my creative ideas with so many people, and I smile looking back through my cool drawings as I remember the different life moments I've had over the past few years I've been drawing (one of them being getting engaged to my fiancé, who has affectionately been called "Doodle Boy" by my followers, and proposed to me by drawing a doodle! Check out my Instagram stories for that fun day). All of this is to say: for anyone looking to take a creative leap of faith - do it. It will always be worth it for the most important person out there: you. And maybe some others along the way, too!

More info: Instagram | decade2doodles.com

#1

Clothing Mishaps

Clothing Mishaps

Report

#2

What You Know

What You Know

Report

#3

Like Chutes And Ladders

Like Chutes And Ladders

Report

#4

Heart Evolution

Heart Evolution

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#5

Wanna Bet?!?

Wanna Bet?!?

Report

#6

Animals Of The Week

Animals Of The Week

Report

#7

Aaand I Have None Of These Things

Aaand I Have None Of These Things

Report

#8

Not All Growth Looks The Same

Not All Growth Looks The Same

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

Friendly Reminder That Loneliness Or Struggle Doesn’t Always “Look Like” What You’d Think

Friendly Reminder That Loneliness Or Struggle Doesn’t Always “Look Like” What You’d Think

Report

#10

Missing You

Missing You

Report

#11

Sometimes You Use Your Cape For Superhero Things, And Sometimes You Just Want To Use Your Cape As A Blanket. And That’s Okay

Sometimes You Use Your Cape For Superhero Things, And Sometimes You Just Want To Use Your Cape As A Blanket. And That’s Okay

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#12

We All Have Nights Where We Tell Ourselves We’ll Be Better In The Morning

We All Have Nights Where We Tell Ourselves We’ll Be Better In The Morning

Report

#13

Bright

Bright

Report

#14

Tip Of My Tongue

Tip Of My Tongue

Report

#15

A Hard Thing To Do

A Hard Thing To Do

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#16

Not A Crybaby, But A (Go Ahead And) Cry, Baby

Not A Crybaby, But A (Go Ahead And) Cry, Baby

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#17

Sundays Are For Sweatpants And Little Movement

Sundays Are For Sweatpants And Little Movement

Report

#18

Mountains That We Climb

Mountains That We Climb

Report

#19

Wow

Wow

Report

#20

These Can Be Tough, But So Can We

These Can Be Tough, But So Can We

Report

#21

Bug Bites

Bug Bites

Report

#22

"Goodnight Room, Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Cow Jumping Over The Moon"

"Goodnight Room, Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Cow Jumping Over The Moon"

Report

#23

Sometimes

Sometimes

Report

#24

Cookie Monster

Cookie Monster

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#25

How It Was

How It Was

Report

#26

We’ll Cross That Bridge When We Get There...

We’ll Cross That Bridge When We Get There...

Report

#27

Treat Yourself Like You’re Your Best Friend

Treat Yourself Like You’re Your Best Friend

Report

#28

Some Days

Some Days

Report

#29

Also: Anywhere, Really

Also: Anywhere, Really

Report

#30

Dealing With Stress

Dealing With Stress

Report

Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
Unlimited content
Ad-free browsing
Dark mode
#31

Very Thankful My Dad And I Are No Longer In The Pit Of Despair

Very Thankful My Dad And I Are No Longer In The Pit Of Despair

Report

#32

100%

100%

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#33

My Mom Does This Adorable Thing Where She Calls Inedible Things Yummy -- And These 4 Things Are Definitely High On My List Of Yummy

My Mom Does This Adorable Thing Where She Calls Inedible Things Yummy -- And These 4 Things Are Definitely High On My List Of Yummy

Report

#34

Yesterday I Had A Droopy Sunflower Day. Hoping Today Is A Tall Sunflower One

Yesterday I Had A Droopy Sunflower Day. Hoping Today Is A Tall Sunflower One

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#35

Rookie Mistake: Not Putting Your Hair Up Beforehand

Rookie Mistake: Not Putting Your Hair Up Beforehand

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#36

Take It Off!

Take It Off!

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#37

The Struggle That Defines My Summer

The Struggle That Defines My Summer

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#38

Going Back To Work Feels Like A Cramp In All Of These Places

Going Back To Work Feels Like A Cramp In All Of These Places

Report

#39

Let's Be Honest With Ourselves. We Always Come Back To It. Always

Let's Be Honest With Ourselves. We Always Come Back To It. Always

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#40

Surprise!

Surprise!

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#41

So Thaaat's Why

So Thaaat's Why

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#42

Some All-The-Time, General Thoughts But Also Some Very This-Week, Specific Ones

Some All-The-Time, General Thoughts But Also Some Very This-Week, Specific Ones

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#43

Let It Flow

Let It Flow

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#44

Closing A Chapter Doesn’t Mean The Story Is Over

Closing A Chapter Doesn’t Mean The Story Is Over

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#45

Particularly Dramatic

Particularly Dramatic

Report

#46

Grass That Is Greener

Grass That Is Greener

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#47

There Aren’t Many People Out There Who Know “Why” You Are

There Aren’t Many People Out There Who Know “Why” You Are

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#48

Sigh. Why Am I Like This

Sigh. Why Am I Like This

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#49

There’s A Difference

There’s A Difference

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#50

Friends

Friends

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#51

Greetings, Earthling, Please See Attached

Greetings, Earthling, Please See Attached

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#52

How Beautiful We Are Alone, But How Gorgeous We Are Together

How Beautiful We Are Alone, But How Gorgeous We Are Together

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#53

Snip Snip

Snip Snip

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#54

Which Paths Do You Choose?

Which Paths Do You Choose?

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#55

Dad

Dad

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#56

Feet That We Put Down

Feet That We Put Down

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#57

Space Doesn’t Always Need To Be Filled With Sound

Space Doesn’t Always Need To Be Filled With Sound

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#58

You Make Me Bloom

You Make Me Bloom

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#59

Love Is Love And I Love Cake

Love Is Love And I Love Cake

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#60

Bite The Bullet

Bite The Bullet

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#61

Don’t Judge

Don’t Judge

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#62

Classic Love Stories

Classic Love Stories

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#63

Digital Drop

Digital Drop

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#64

Don't Look At Me!

Don't Look At Me!

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#65

Your Groove

Your Groove

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#66

Special Friendship

Special Friendship

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#67

But That's Where The Ice Cream Is!

But That's Where The Ice Cream Is!

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#68

Nuts

Nuts

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#69

It’s Just A Little White Lie!

It’s Just A Little White Lie!

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#70

Here's To Finding A Way Back To Level Ground

Here's To Finding A Way Back To Level Ground

Report

Add photo comments
POST