PHXDW + Doodles

Flip Doodle Deluxe lands at Phoenix Design Week for the first time!

It was an awesome time with lots of drawing, laughing and getting to know other creatives. The organizers of Phoenix Design Week 2024 invited me to lead a Flip Doodle event prior to this year’s two-day conference, which was themed as “OASIS”. It was everything I was expecting – reinvigorating, informative and fun.

On June 25, 2024, Flip Doodle Deluxe released to the public. It’s a card deck I created that’s all about flipping cards, cooking ideas and serving doodles. Creative blocks? Squashed! Fear of failure? Haha, yeah right!

When we view creativity as a source of entertainment, the possibilities get cosmic real quick. Thanks to everyone that supported the event. And super special thanks to Larissa (my wife) and Nikki (our dear friend) for their assistance! I’m looking forward to many more chances to connect with people at future events here in the valley as well.

Here’s some images from the event and some thoughts that come to mind.

Three things to ponder

The audience at this event was mostly creative professionals, some of whom already draw but also those who don’t usually find the time. The event was open to conference attendees as well as their friends, family and the public. I’m always amazed at how once given the chance, many people reconnect with drawing quickly.

The artists we were, still exist – At these events I’ve met accountants, engineers, carpenters and other professionals who never doodle, but have such a great time reconnecting with the artist they used to be. Picasso said, “We’re all born artists.” So don’t say, “I’m not an artist.” Say “I know I’ll be an artist again if I try.”
Being creative is human - If you’re suspicious of AI, it’s likely because you understand the potential it has to damage our humanity. It’s serious. I mean, our “phones” already command most of our attention and we all know what it’s doing to our children. But we creatives will never be replaced. We are not robots, using algorithms to tell ourselves we’ve made art. We are the music makers, the dreamers of dreams. And we make those dreams come to life.
People value what’s real - Being seen. Being heard. Being together. True, it may not always be easy to put ourselves out there or want to be creative with others. But once people do, they experience good things in return. A sense that they matter, that their ideas are worth something and that they are part of a collective human experience.

The profound nature of doodles

Ages ago, people drew in caves. They made symbols for places, creatures, people and ideas. In time, they transferred those images to giant leaves, carved stones and bound parchments. They documented their lives through images and taught young ones about where they came from. Long before the printing press.

Well, skipping, skipping – here we are. We’re in an age of image creation that might as well be magic. We draw underwater, with light, with code and even with our eyes. We exist in an optical world where all we imagine can become something real.

If you never think about doodling in everyday life, you’re the perfect person to rediscover the meaning behind it. Who knows, maybe be reconnecting with your creative side you might get closer to a friend / family member, find new ways to manage stress and / or turn a small bit of nonsense into someone’s lasting treasure.

And when you make those first new lines, pause. Feel the moment. Perhaps that goofy doodle will say: “Keep going. Return to the artist you once were.”

:D