Here’s My #DoodleADay for today:

We are moving into week 2 of the #DoodleADay challenge and already I can see my own doodles loosening-up and allowing more self-expression out.  I chose to begin this #DoodleADay challenge on the blog because I knew that chances are if I was having a hard time fitting creative time in on a regular and even daily basis then you likely were too.

What I like about doodles is that there is no one “right” way to do a doodle.  It’s spontaneous, can be quick and very process oriented, which means less room for judgement and more room to express yourself without the parameters of having to “look good”, it is a doodle after all!

For me, doodling is an excellent way to connect with my intuition.  I like to play with the lines and see what happens rather than plan it in my head. A doodle unfolds on its own initiative, before my eyes , with very little mental effort.  Yet I feel that there is a lot going on underneath it all.  When I doodle I  just go with the flow, leaving more room for emotional expression.  I begin with the doodle rather than the thought or feeling, and then see what my intuition reveals though the doodle.

Another advantage is that the more I  doodle the more I am presented with opportunities  to begin to piece together my own personal symbolism or “story”.  Of course, it doesn’t have to be complicated.  Just doodle and see how it can release tension, and connect you with your current feelings or thoughts. Doodling is creative expression if nothing else, and that’s good enough for me!

Why join this doodle a day challenge? You can read my post on 10 reasons to doodle here if you need some motivation.

The #DoodleADay challenge:  (for more details see my first post Doodle a Day Challenge)

Everyday for the month of October, I will make a doodle and you are invited to join me.  It can be as simple as black ink on white paper or white ink on black or coloured paper or you can do a line doodle and colour it in. It’s up to you. Work on it as little or as much as you want, but make sure you finish each doodle.

An optional part of the doodle challenge:

For those of you who would like to use the doodles for self exploration you can take it a step further by free writing about your doodle after making it. Describe what you  see and then reflect on any metaphors or symbols you notice on your written response.

Follow the Challenge and Share your #DoodleADay Journey!

I will be posting my doodle each day on the ArtTherapist.ca blog and sharing it on Facebook and Twitter. If you would like to join in, you can share a link of your doodle from your blog or Facebook page over at https://www.facebook.com/arttherapist.ca or post it on  Twitter tagging @drawingselfout with #DoodleADay or Instagram with  #DoodleADay and tag @petreaadamidis

 Looking forward to sharing doodles with you!