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I've been an educator for most of my life, starting as a volunteer math teacher in Africa many years ago, then a human rights educator working primarily in Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia. For the past 11 years, I've been an independent consultant and supported governments and international organizations in promoting human rights education and diversity & inclusion, as well as facilitated workshops to train other facilitators.

When I was 10, I came across a trove of drawings and paintings my father created when he was younger, and these inspired me to explore my own creative talents. He passed away when I was much younger, so I examined his work and became a self-taught artist. 

I created an introspective character several years ago who quietly contemplated signs he would see—some obvious, others less so—that encouraged him to look on the bright side of life.

I've drawn him occasionally over the years, but since the start of 2022, I've had my beloved character face new signs and situations every day, and hopefully, I can continue creating a drawing a day as long as he inspires me (and hopefully others).

More info: Instagram | paulmcadams.com

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I Create Daily Drawings With Messages Of Positivity For A Wholesome And Curious Character

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Early inspirations were my father's illustrations - tall ships, cabins in the woods, fall scenes - and that gave way to pop culture influences in my teens from superheroes to sci-fi characters. I spent several years away from the easel, but eventually returned to drawings in pencil, comic art in pen and ink, paintings in acrylic, and murals in my children's rooms when they were younger.

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    The idea to create these drawings was born when I was facilitating a workshop in Nepal about 15 years ago. At the end of the training, participants were asked to complete a written evaluation. One participant wryly noted, "The facilitator should smile more." I took that to heart. The world needs more smiles.

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    There are two underlying and interconnected messages in these recent drawings. On the one hand, many of them present a message reaffirming our need to reach out to others when we're feeling down; life in the past couple of years has been hard on many of us, and connections to friends, family and others help lift our spirits. The other message is one of self-care and finding comfort in either doing the things we love (which can sometimes be nothing more than sitting in front of a fire) or challenging ourselves to do something different.

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    I Create Daily Drawings With Messages Of Positivity For A Wholesome And Curious Character

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    The yellow balloon to me symbolizes the innocence and openness of a child's creative spirit - it's a reminder to the character (who is an adult) that you need to remain young at heart. As for yellow, well that was just my mother's favorite color.

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    For me, drawing means to escape. For others: people have told me that some of these drawings resonate powerfully with who they are and what they're going through, and I'm grateful for that.

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