Sunday, February 28, 2021

Content creators, celebrations, controversy, and challah!

Sending this early becaose of the Golden Globes!

As a kid, I wanted to be an author, a dentist, or a pop star when I grew up. (Guess which one actually still seems realistic?)

Recently my sister has been reviving her The College Table Instagram and connecting with college students. A lot of them don't care about college anymore, they just want to be TikTok or YouTube stars. It's easier than ever to become a content creator, even though it's still a lot of work if you want to build a following or a brand. 

I joined her Clubhouse (a new audio conversation platform, email me if you need an invite!) where she hosted a discussion with a few young creators (I was the oldest). I've been connecting with a lot of awesome creators, lately — including some of you reading this. So, this newsletter is dedicated to creativity, other creators, and some of my creations across platforms. Maybe it will or already has inspired you to create something of your own. 

First, we've got a doodle about my favorite YouTubers right now (not including myself 😉), a video about last week's side part doodle, a last-minute Purim doodle with a talented collaborator, a story about dating, a challah baker ... and another birthday.

(If you follow me on other Internet platforms, YouTube and the birthday card are the only things I haven't shared anywhere yet. It's been a busy week in my creative world!)

My favorite YouTubers

During quarantine, I've not only been creating more than ever but I've also been consuming more content on more platforms than ever. Here are four YouTubers I've been enjoying. I'm on YouTube too but you'll see below!

If you want to watch:

• Mr. Kate
• Lucie Fink
• Yoga with Adriene
• Tom Delgado - I took a tour with Tom and ran into him at a comedy show, he's awesome. Sadly, I haven't met the rest of the gang...yet! 

[Doodle and video] Purim in 2020 vs 2021 — same holiday, different mask

Last year mask was still a fun word, not so much this year. I know in last week's newsletter I said I wouldn't draw a Purim doodle, but, I had a  change of heart. I reached out to my talented Instagram artist acquaintance in France, Alice, to create this doodle collaboration. (We also worked together on this Hannukkah collab — I love her style!). I turned it into a video with a very festive thumbnail below.

Challah at me ... and me!

My friend Maura is a Jewish baking machine. She learned how to make Hamantashen for Purim and made nearly 500 for customers. She started a challah business in Syracuse called Challah At Me. Maura has such a bright, fun personality (and brand), that I couldn't not doodle her. 

And, word has spread. 

This was my first time drawing challah, and now I'm working on a custom doodle for another Challah baker in California. The picture I'm drawing has about 20 challot in it!

[Video] Middle part controversy with a photo journey

Last week I shared a doodle about the evolution of my part. (See it here). I made a special request to my dad to bring over some childhood pictures, and I turned the doodle into a video with photo evidence.

Bonne anniversaire to the chef!

Speaking of bakers, my friend Ashlee's little sister is in culinary school in Paris. I made her a custom birthday card. See all custom work here.

Finding love during coronavirus

This doesn't quite fit into my theme, but, besides creating doodles, I'm a freelance writer for Boro Magazine in Astoria, Queens. I've been writing for them for over three years. Here's my latest story about dating in Queens. This had me digging into threads on Reddit, another platform I've gotten into lately.

Danielle in Doodles update — a big idea

I felt a little stuck this week. I have SO many ideas, but which to focus on? That is something I'm still figuring out. I've doodled about myself, Jewish culture, dating, TV, politics, COVID, ridiculous news, celebrities. What do you like?

I was talking to my dad and realize the Jewish doodles seem to resonate with people. So we came up with an idea — a Danielle in Doodles Hagaddah for Passover. Would you want it? It'll be short, funny, a little autobiographical (think rats and COVID as plagues — I've had both!), and filled with doodles. And, maybe a Passover seder EVENT!

And, I added an overdue new page to my site to showcase press and testimonials.

Thanks for reading! I have a lot of work to do before my next Jewish holiday.

If you like this newsletter, tell a friend!

xo

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