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National Scribble Day 2024
Grab your crayons and express yourself on National Scribble Day.
Do What You Do
A drawing is simply a line going for a walk. ~Paul Klee
Some people doodle. Some people don’tle.
I don’t often decorate the margins, but it has happened from time to time. I’m not sure what inspired me to do so when I did.
Some people absolutely cannot refrain from drawing all over the place when they’re in class or business meetings.
It takes all kinds. Everybody has their own way of dealing with downtime.
Scribbling is (for me at least) an analog pastime. What I do is primarily digital. I don’t do much digital scribbling, either.
Well, I suppose you could say multiple rough drafts of my books might count as scribbles, but I think they have more intentionality than a “true” scribble.
Whatever your rationale for scribbling or not doing so, I suppose it might be fun to just go wild with a crayon, pencil or pen again sometime.
Not Just A Scribble
National Scribble Day
So, the topic of today’s National Day comes from a children’s book titled, I’m NOT Just A Scribble.
I haven’t read it. My kids were already grownups or teens by the time it got published.
The subject is classic childrens’ book fare. Learning how to get along with others and value differences is a good message for anyone of any age.
I’ve been watching The Godfather of Harlem, which (surprisingly) has a similar overall theme.
Set in the tumultuous early 60s, it follows Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson in his struggle to maintain Black control of Harlem.
So, what does that have to do with scribbles and understanding?
One of Bumpy’s friends was Malcolm X, a strident Black Nationalist and former minister of the Nation of Islam.
Growing up in Jim Crow America made Malcolm take an understandably dim view of anyone who was not Black, but when he finally had an opportunity to go on the Hajj, he had a sort of scribble moment.
God made us all.
Some of us have dark skin and curly hair.
Some of us have fair skin and straight hair.
Who cares?
As Dr. King said, we should not be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character.
Nobody’s perfect. We’re all scribbles. That’s okay.
Sometimes Scribbles Get You Started
The thing about the 600 words, I mean some day, you can do a very, very, very hard day’s work and not write a word, just revising, or you would scribble a few words. ~J. K. Rowling
Some people adhere to the notion of writing a certain number of words per day to justify yourself as a writer. Some people, clearly, do not.
I think it’s a useful tool if you’re in the process of writing a specific piece. I’ve had over seven thousand word days and I’m currently having zero word days.
It comes and it goes. Sometimes you have to hunker down and survive. Sometimes you can have the freedom to delve deep and be as creative as possible.
That’s life. It’s a big random scribble for most of us. That’s okay, too.
💐 Spring 🌷 has sprung. The temperatures are coming up and it won’t be long before Kelly is out front fiddling in her gardens again.
Seasons come and go. So do logjams at work. I feel a shift in things and hope to be back to writing in earnest very soon.
It’s Wednesday. I’m tired. I haven’t got much more in the tank than to do a little scribble. I hope you’ve got more in your tank and that you’re getting more rest than me. It would be nice to think somebody’s doing alright these days…