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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

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#2

What You Know

What You Know

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Like Chutes And Ladders

Like Chutes And Ladders

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Heart Evolution

Heart Evolution

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#5

Wanna Bet?!?

Wanna Bet?!?

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Animals Of The Week

Animals Of The Week

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Aaand I Have None Of These Things

Aaand I Have None Of These Things

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#8

Not All Growth Looks The Same

Not All Growth Looks The Same

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#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

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#10

Missing You

Missing You

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#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

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#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

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Bright

Bright

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Tip Of My Tongue

Tip Of My Tongue

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A Hard Thing To Do

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

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

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Sundays Are For Sweatpants And Little Movement

Sundays Are For Sweatpants And Little Movement

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Mountains That We Climb

Mountains That We Climb

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Wow

Wow

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#20

These Can Be Tough, But So Can We

These Can Be Tough, But So Can We

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Bug Bites

Bug Bites

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

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

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#23

Sometimes

Sometimes

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Cookie Monster

Cookie Monster

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#25

How It Was

How It Was

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#26

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

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

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#27

Treat Yourself Like You’re Your Best Friend

Treat Yourself Like You’re Your Best Friend

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Some Days

Some Days

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#29

Also: Anywhere, Really

Also: Anywhere, Really

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#30

Dealing With Stress

Dealing With Stress

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#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

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#32

100%

100%

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#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

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#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

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#35

Rookie Mistake: Not Putting Your Hair Up Beforehand

Rookie Mistake: Not Putting Your Hair Up Beforehand

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#36

Take It Off!

Take It Off!

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#37

The Struggle That Defines My Summer

The Struggle That Defines My Summer

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#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

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#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

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Surprise!

Surprise!

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#41

So Thaaat's Why

So Thaaat's Why

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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

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#43

Let It Flow

Let It Flow

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#44

Closing A Chapter Doesn’t Mean The Story Is Over

Closing A Chapter Doesn’t Mean The Story Is Over

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#45

Particularly Dramatic

Particularly Dramatic

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#46

Grass That Is Greener

Grass That Is Greener

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#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

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#48

Sigh. Why Am I Like This

Sigh. Why Am I Like This

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#49

There’s A Difference

There’s A Difference

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#50

Friends

Friends

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#51

Greetings, Earthling, Please See Attached

Greetings, Earthling, Please See Attached

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#52

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

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

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#53

Snip Snip

Snip Snip

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#54

Which Paths Do You Choose?

Which Paths Do You Choose?

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#55

Dad

Dad

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#56

Feet That We Put Down

Feet That We Put Down

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#57

Space Doesn’t Always Need To Be Filled With Sound

Space Doesn’t Always Need To Be Filled With Sound

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#58

You Make Me Bloom

You Make Me Bloom

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#59

Love Is Love And I Love Cake

Love Is Love And I Love Cake

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#60

Bite The Bullet

Bite The Bullet

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#61

Don’t Judge

Don’t Judge

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#62

Classic Love Stories

Classic Love Stories

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Digital Drop

Digital Drop

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Don't Look At Me!

Don't Look At Me!

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#65

Your Groove

Your Groove

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#66

Special Friendship

Special Friendship

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#67

But That's Where The Ice Cream Is!

But That's Where The Ice Cream Is!

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#68

Nuts

Nuts

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#69

It’s Just A Little White Lie!

It’s Just A Little White Lie!

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#70

Here's To Finding A Way Back To Level Ground

Here's To Finding A Way Back To Level Ground

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