Sunday, December 27, 2020

I'm happy to see this year end, but let's be honest — its impact is far from over. I'll be doodling about it well into 2021. As weird, stressful, and sad as this year has been, I'm grateful it gave me the time to dive into this new adventure.

The past couple of months I've been in content creation mode trying to meet my goal of making 50 doodles by the end of the year, which I've surpassed.

I wrote a lot below — this is my last newsletter of 2020 after all! But don't worry, you can choose your own adventure:

Here for just doodles: Skip the text below to see my 2020 year in review, Covid update, Christmas content, and Rosh Hashanna vs. American New Year. 

Here for it all: Read about how I got started and how Danielle in Doodles (DID) has evolved this year, then treat yourself to doodles below!

In July, I randomly made a doodle about "dates from the past that didn't last." People liked it on social media, so I made more. Then I made one about my quarantine activities. I was worried I'd run out of ideas, but I have so many I can barely keep up with them! This hobby combines my childhood interest in drawing and doodling with my background in standup comedy, content marketing, and print and digital media. I always saw myself publishing something, and I'm happy I found an avenue. I'm excited to see where it goes and grateful that you're along for the ride!

Year in review

• Last month I started this newsletter to reach more people, to get on a content creation schedule, and to write.
• Built a website on Wix! (I researched many tools and chose Wix because it can build sites and has a good newsletter tool. I might write a blog post about this for my personal site).
• I started making short videos with the doodles
• I got a mild case of Covid (more on that below) and made content out of it
• I made cards and put them on Etsy and sold some to an entrepreneur/author on Twitter
• The Home Edit reshared my post about them on Instagram and Lily Collins commented on my Emily in Paris doodle
• I did two collaborations, one with an artist in France
• I was a finalist in the virtual talent show at work
• I started doing custom work which I'll share soon!
• Made over 60 doodles! I went through two watercolor pads.

The real phases of 2020

This year, phases represented how cities and states were hit by Covid. But each month of this year had a definitive phase that deserved a doodle. In late summer, I made a doodle about the phases of Covid in NYC from March to August. I decided to update it for the full year above. We started with an ominous January and ended with the hope we need to get through 2021.

A Covid hero among us

This doodle is just one micro-scene that represents this year. I can't really doodle about the real heroes because there isn't humor in it. They've been amazing and selfless and it's brought tears to my eyes to see people get the vaccine (time to update this doodle about what makes me cry?). When we realized I had Covid, my sister's boyfriend, Erik, took her away to stay in his house in Connecticut for a month. I made him this doodle for Hanukkah. Also — update, I'm fine but lost my smell in week 2 of Covid and it has not come back yet :( .

Mohammad's Christmas observations

Recently I saw a thread from someone on Twitter named Mohammad Hussain about his observations while celebrating Christmas for the first time with his roommates. If you haven’t seen it, it's hilarious! Since I'm trying to do some more custom work, and I found his sense of humor similar to mine, I doodled him. I don't celebrate Christmas but found this to be spot on. Although, I love peppermint. He inspired the next doodle.

My Jewish observations on Christmas

Every Christmas is a little odd for me as a Jew. It either overlaps with Hanukkah, or Hanukkah is over. I don't really know what to do with myself. I think about Santa. Mohammad's observations inspired me to make my own doodle about these observations! I also made a video version, which you can see in the blog post here.

Jewish New Year vs. American New Year

As a Jewish American, I celebrate Rosh Hashana just as much as American New Year. From the food, to the outfit, to the company, they're very different. I realized it was time to compare them. Although this New Year, instead of going to a friend's party or a bar, I'll be spending it with my family for the first time in years. Hopefully this means I break the annual hangover streak.

A lot of my doodles were inspired by the past, but I'm also looking forward. So, what's next? Here are my 2021 DID resolutions.

• Add to the card collection and actually sell cards! I've been treating them like giant business cards for now. I might try local retailers and promote my Etsy shop which is already set up.
• Do more custom work and add the option to Etsy!
• Grow my newsletter and social media following.
• Turn doodles into an ebook.
• Publish a doodle with a media outlet.
• Try to train my left hand to be more useful because the dominant (right) one is cramping!

If you have ideas for me, suggestions, criticism... please reach out. Happy New Year!

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