We are living in strange times, the only thing we can be certain of is that things will change.
With so many parents suddenly facing their kids being home from school I was wondering how I could help a little. I remembered that as a kid I loved a contest that was in the local evening paper every week. It was a simple thing, a doodle line that you had to make into a picture. I was always bursting with ideas. I think the prize was £2, I’m not sure I remember but I do recall how much fun I had. So I decided I would do the same. Earlier in the week I shared a simple squiggle (on the right) and waited to see if anyone would even notice. What I got back was a remarkable display of creativity – from all ages from 5 to very grown-up. Some local businesses came forward to offer prizes but this was never about that. I hoped to give some parents a quick break but what I got was so much more. I got messages that the pictures were making people smile, that it became an escape for people for a few minutes, that it started conversations over the makeshift art tables about art, and thinking and imaginations were fired. I heard that they can’t wait for next week. So I guess for a while this is a weekly thing.

  • André Broussard
    self-portrait
  • Avery
  • Birdie -4
    Rainbow waters. Because fish jumping want to go through the rainbow and her rainbow hand is there to catch them if they get too close to the bottom. The brown are the fish.

  • Carlie – 37
    Llunch break doodles. Mama bird and her bebe’s
  • Casey – 36
  • Dan (grown-up)
  • Dawson – 9
    The Sugar Cookie Monster
  • Demi – 5
    Under the sea with rainbow fish
  • Evangeline, age 7.
    A note from her Mom “I explained & even showed her what to do (I really thought to myself, is my child dumb?) Finally she sighed “Its a perfectly good kite string & the kite is in the sky so you can’t see it.” She’s known for doing the absolute least possible.”
  • Hannah – 10
  • Jaiden – 9
    A doughnut with sprinkles
  • James – 12
  • Casey – 36
  • Jude 11
    The Lorax trees
  • Lena – 7
  • Leo – 15
  • Lila 11
    Down by the beach
  • Mattie Q – 7
    Wave to my heart
  • Melissa – 42
    Not an artist but wanted to play along.
  • Millie 10
    A monster and a volcano
  • Noelle
  • SaraJane – 5
    A dinosaur climbing a mountain
  • Viviene – 6
    A Christmas cactus planted in her favorite “sports team” planter! LSU, Saints + Astros
  • Whitney -38
  • Wolf – 7
  • Wolfe -9
  • Zoe – 15
    This was the winner (see bonus below)

The illustration by Zoe was declared the winner – and then something really sweet happened. Locke (7) was so inspired by Zoe’s drawing that he made his own version. My own memories flooded back when I would sit and home and copy other drawings to improve my skils – it’s how we all learn.
So much came from a simple squiggle. Please feel free to use this squiggle (or make your own) or look out on Monday when I’ll share next week’s squiggle and not just on my Facebook page. There will be no prizes (unless a cool company wants to step up and sponsor this whole thing) It’s so we all have some fun and keep our brains creative. We are going to need them.

Stay safe out there. Stay home if you can.