It’s time to start doodling!

FUN, simple, true

This is what I envision — my intention for the Doodle Days of Summer Musings Adventure.

Colorful is another word that comes to mind, too.

This is what I wish for each of you in August.

A little history
My daily musings began many years ago – and I did not think of it as such when I began.

I first started with day planners that I bought and tracked my workouts, runs, bike rides, ski days and other ‘active’ things I did, along with a few other life events that seemed to make it into those planners.

Soon these planners began to feel restrictive, especially because they never gave me the same space for each day of the week. I almost started believing they were made for people who didn’t like the weekend – and fun and play.

When I did not find the kind of journal I needed to fulfill my desire for a different kind of space, I began creating my own design, using a blank spiral bound journal I made.

I experimented with how I wanted to use the space, creating each week by hand.

Wow — it was fun remembering tidbits of my years and seeing how much the journal and my practice has evolved over the years. In 2013 you may be able to see that I began moving towards a design I could reproduce. And I needed to like it enough to commit to creating it ahead of time — for the entire year.

Today my Daily Musings Journal feels a bit like a log book chronicling my adventures – not with a literal transcription of my days, but an interpretation in doodles — really all sorts of letters & lines, words & phrase, drawings & collages, color & more. And my practice still continues to evolve.

Let’s get this Doodle Adventure started!

It is my hope that using the tips, techniques & inspiration you receive from me, and the other wonderful creative bloggers who are helping me on this adventure, will open up a fun new way to take note of your daily musings and that you will have a fun chronicle of your August when this adventure is over.

And that you will find inspiration to continue your doodling adventure.

Since lettering is a process that feels fun & simple for me, I am going to start this adventure with some ideas from this part of my practice.

Not signed up yet, click here to join in the fun – and get your free Doodle Days Musings Adventure download.

To get started this week try choosing a word (or two or ten) that is sparked from your day — and write it or them to take up space in your day’s square.

xox

xox

• I’ve created a few basic lettering exemplars that may be helpful – click here to download.

xox

x0x

• You may like to find some lettering you like in a book; magazine; or online and copy the style. Is there a logo you really like? Those letters are another place to start.
• Add any details you want about your day — literally in words, or in doodles or sketches.
• Try mixing up the scale of your letters/words
• Add color – I’ll be using my staedtler markers or my prismacolor colored pencils – they are my go to supplies for simple & fun – and color, too!
• Maybe doodle a few divider borders or bullets – page 3 of the Doodle Days PDF may give you a few ideas for this.

As an example I created a square for tomorrow on a sample print out (just left). I copied the letters I created for the musings adventure logo. For musings adventure I created each letter separately, thinking about each letter rather than writing the word in a flow. I tried to leave space between each letter so I could go back and thicken them up on the second go round (do you see the letter I missed?). Then I created the border (you can see this border example on p3 of the PDF) and added the full blue moon rise doodle below. I’m just hoping the weather cooperates for this today:)

So jump on in – the doodles are fine.

You’ll find a rhythm as the month goes on.

I bet you’ll be delighted with the fun doodle musings you create.

As you can see from some of the spreads and squares I’ve shared my practice is sometimes literally writing the things I did in the day. If this feels the simplest way for you to begin — please do that.

I encourage you to try out some colors, or a few words that you want to highlight, or create texture by writing around the edge of the square from the outside to the inside.

There is no right or wrong way to do this — the only way you can get this wrong is if you don’t show up at all.

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More on the Adventure
This month I’ll be working in my Doodle Days print out to chronicle my adventures, too. I look forward to trying the other bloggers’ inspiration.  Check back each Wednesday to see what I’ve been up to.

I don’t always get to my musings each day — but this process has offered me the space to pause and consider my day.

• Sometimes I know exactly what I want to chronicle to remember the day.
• Sometimes I’ll write down a word, or two, or ten that will help me to remember what I want to document.
• Sometimes life gets away from me, and I don’t remember to remember the day. This is when I know it’s time to slow down a little and come back to the present.

If you don’t have time to doodle every day (and believe me I can totally relate), use your full musings pages to make notes about what caught your attention in your day – the doodle will come when you get to it!

Keep the intention – FUN, simple, true
And I know you will find a joy filled way to chronicle your days in doodles.

Please stop back next Wednesday, August 5, to see what I get up to! I’m not sure exactly what it will be, but it will be FUN, simple and true!

And click here to join us if you’re not signed-up!

Giveaway

If you love your August Doodle Days download, than you might be excited to know that I’m giving away a PDF download of the remainder of 2015 (September – December). To be eligible please leave a comment telling my why you like to doodle! Add your doodle love in the comments by next Thursday, August 6 and I’ll announce the winner on my Wednesday, August 12 blog post.

Adventure Schedule
July 31 – Lisa DeYoung, aka the mountain mermaid
Lisa is a creative, independent spirit lives by the motto Create, Play, Thrive. She loves chronicling her days in her Daily Musings Journal and hopes to share this bite-size creative play with others through the Doodle Days Musings Adventures. Visit her musings (blog) at mtnmermaid.wordpress.com.

xox

xox
August 7 – Kiala Givehand
Kiala Givehand is a mixed media book artist, creative business strategist, fountain pen collector and art journal junkie. She loves anything in the shape of a circle and journals every single day — even if it’s just one word. Join in her online creative shenanigans at kialagivehand.com.

xox

xox

August 14 – Teresa Robinson, aka stargardener
Teresa believes each day is a canvas awaiting the collage elements we decide have meaning — splashed with the authentic paint of our mind, will and emotions. She maps her way through with torn bits of paper, words of found poetry and splashes of paint and ink; posting field notes to RightBrainPlanner.com and on Instagram.

xox

August 21 – Cindy Gilstrap
Cindy is a mixed media artist from Texas that LOVES sharing her joy of creating happy, quirky, whimsical art. Through the years she found her passion for mixed media art and art journaling and loves the freedom to just play in her art journal and thinks we should all take time to play more! Visit her at junqueart.com.

xox

August 28 – Lisa, aka the mountain mermaid (see above)

Thoughts on Sharing
Although I am offering options for sharing please do not feel at all obligated to share. I know journaling is a personal process, so whether you decide to share is completely up to you.

That being said, each Wednesday I will have a Linky Tool on my blog post so you can share your blog post with your doodle musings.

I’d also love for you to share with the hashtags #doodledays #musingsadventure on Instagram and/or Twitter. You can find me here on Instagram and here on Twitter.

If you have any questions or want to share any part of your adventure with me, I’d love to hear from you. You can reply to this email, or email me at lisa (at) mountainmermaidstudios (dot) com.

Enjoy your doodling adventure!
xox,

xox

xox

P.S. It’s the full blue moon today – an auspicious day to be beginning this adventure, don’t you think? Thank you for joining me.

P.S.S. And if you’re just stumbling upon this blog post, you’ve made it this far and you don’t know about the Doodle Days of Summer Musings Adventure, it’s not too late to join the doodle fun. Click here to learn more and sign-up.