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F ³: There’s an App for That


 

There’s a new online community which is non competitive, non judgemental, doesn’t ask for money or a ton of personal information. Would you be interested? 

I’m not sure I would have been aware of it at all had I not seen Alie Ward (Oligies) post about it on Bluesky.



This is your sign to come make a little art every day with us!

Doodl is a human-only drawing community built around daily prompts and shared ritual.

No Al art.

No pressure.

Just creativity, together!

Join the beta.

Hmm… I’ve doodling all my life. (And now I know why.) Yet I’ve always felt terrible at art and struggled in traditional art classes. 

During the beginning of the pandemic lockdowns I started keeping an art journal in spite of all that. I had a lot of negative baggage about any kind of visual art and I just decided to put it all to the side and “do art” purely because I wanted to.

Not because I was talented or skilled. Because it felt good and made me happy. I’m still doing it. After all this time it’s clear that I’ve always had a deep need to do this but shame about childhood failures caused me to suppress it. 

It’s kind ridiculous when you consider how I, as a musician, have always felt deeply that music is for everyone and that no one should feel excluded from making music and enjoying it.

So, after several years of solitary art making, I found myself signing up for an app called Doodl. My first post was a response to the prompt: draw your favorite comfort food. It was basic.



Yesterday’s prompt was: draw your greatest treasure. I went all out on that one.


It’s quite simple. You make art, you post it. You can add a verbal description if you like. Then you can look at the posts of others, read their descriptions, “like” them and/or make a comment. All comments I have seen or received have been supportive.

Aside from being an opportunity to make and share art, it’s also a place to connect with others, experience a rich variety of perspectives, and develop/practice empathy. What a radical concept that is these days.

Human made art. Human centered interactions. So beautifully simple. I have found it to be great for restoring my faith in human beings. It’s a little slice of hope in our chaotic world. 

Do you doodle? You might enjoy Doodl. (It’s in Beta right now.) The creator is amazingly responsive to feedback. She actually fixed one of my posts at her end because the bottom of the image kept getting cut off. Plus, she explained why that had happened so I wouldn’t have that problem in the future.

If there’s any lesson for the day it’s that, if you like something, do it. You don’t have to be gifted or skilled and you don’t have to wait to be invited or approved by any expert. Do what you love.  The love is the gift and the invitation.




You can find Doodl through their website, on Bluesky, and Instagram.

Have you ever tried something you were afraid you weren’t good at and discovered you really enjoyed it?











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