Are you a doodler? I remember my little brother doodling with his finger in the air while he sat at the dinner table. My family couldn't see what he was drawing but if we asked him, he would describe his drawings of the Red Baron in a dogfight with a Sopwith Camel somewhere in the skies over France. We were so intrigued by his detailed descriptions that we could almost hear the battle taking place over our kitchen table. I used to doodle all over my school notebooks and even on my canvas school bag — and as I recall, so did many of my schoolmates. I think doodling tends to fade a bit as we get older and life takes over our spare moments. The computer has certainly put a dent in our pencil to paper fantasies.
As a "big kid" now, my doodles have turned into focused pencil sketches as I visualize layout possibilities for a publication, logo, or a webpage. Sometimes I sketch on a scrap of paper, sometimes on a napkin next to a cup of coffee, but whatever form the sketch might take, it's still a great way to think through ideas long before I go near a computer. It's amazing how much creativity can come from a 2 x 2 inch drawing. Google has kept doodling and illustration alive on their ever-changing homepage. Check out some of the illustrations that have been submitted by students from across the U.S. for consideration. Vote for your favorites and keep those doodle dreams alive.