I’d rather be making cool shit.
Mostly I write, but sometimes I doodle, and lately I’ve been doodling almost daily.
I don’t know what exactly all these doodles will add up to. I don’t know how exactly they’ll fit together with my words, or if they’ll remain separate from them. What I do know is that I’m finding a lot of joy in making them. Even the ones that stem from a weird/uncomfortable/sad feeling or bad day make me smile. I love these characters I’m making. I love that they come from me. I love that every time I draw one, I think of something to try next time: a different hairline, a wider nose, a new eye style. It’s fun.
But it’s also fun to share them, and I’ve noticed it feels easier to share my doodles than it has previously felt to share my writing. Less vulnerable, more like a natural extension of the process. It’s felt so natural that I’ve found myself doing things I’ve never done before just to get more eyes on my art: pinning up mini doodles in my neighborhood coffee shops and little free libraries, asking local cafes and bookstores if they’d be interested in hanging my art in their stores, drawing in public with the hope that someone will notice.
A few of the minis I’ve posted around town
Is that weird? Maybe. Some part of me certainly thinks so. You’re a writer! it says. Not an artist! It worries I will confuse people. It worries my neighbors will see it and laugh at me. It worries strangers will think I’m weird. I feel this all acutely. It feels like fear.
Then I think about someone seeing one of my weird (complimentary) doodles out there and smiling. I think about them doing what I do when I see something cool in the wild: take it in, take a picture, take a moment to appreciate that I’m surrounded by art all the time. I think about someone like me going to my website and finding inspiration there, or maybe deciding they want to buy one of my doodles or hire me for a writing gig or collaborate on something else entirely. I feel that, too. It feels like hope and possibility—not just for my doodling or my writing, but for my creative life as a whole.
Besides, whatever I’m losing by not writing more right now, I’m gaining in new ideas: for stories and drawings and essays and paintings and books and local events and collaborations and and and . . . My creative juices aren’t just flowing; they’re rushing, gushing, spilling over the banks of my brain. I could worry about what it means that I’m doodling more than writing, but then I’d probably drown. I’d rather be making cool shit. So I’m keeping a running list of ideas and working on the ones I can right now. (Neil Mason’s MAKE. MOVE. MEET. framework has been super helpful for taking creative action without getting overwhelmed. Thanks to Seth Werkheiser for sharing it in one of his emails!)
A new idea, inspired by two pieces I read back-to-back: Hallie Bateman’s comic, “100% of dreams come true,” and Amanda Jackson’s piece, “I accidentally brought my vision board to life.”
Much like my doodles, I don’t know what all these new ideas will add up to. I don’t even know if I have or will ever have the skills/connections/courage I need to bring some of them to life. That’s okay. Because right now, it’s bringing me joy just to collect and create and share a few of them with the world—in person and also in your inbox through emails like this one.
Now it’s your turn: What cool art are you making? What’s bringing you joy in your creative life right now? What new ideas are you thinking about?
Comment and let me know, or email me anytime at dylanmichaeljulian@gmail.com.
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