This is officially my last doodle for the 10 Day Challenge. Starting a new series after this.

I knew I wanted to do this since Day 2 but intentionally left it till the last day. I couldn't get to it within the 10 days because of the requests I started getting. So this is my bonus doodle :)

The theme is 'India'. This is not what India is like..this is what I am like when I'm there. I can't write a lot because its really hard to put in words my feelings towards that country..but there is a lot of hidden meaning behind this piece. I hope the people that are associated with it are able to figure it out because I dedicate this one to them! I couldn't experience India the way I do without you all..Cheers!

Another day another struggle. No ideas or theme behind this one..just drew some patterns.

But tomorrow I'm going to get back on track. I have a theme for tomorrow and I'm going to stick to it.

I'm probably going to extend this doodle thing because I promised a few guys I would doodle their requests but couldn't get to them. 

Coming back, this is my Day 9.

If facebook led you here, don't worry, I'm not going to bore anybody with my sob story. I just want to write about my day and my piece.

2 years ago I felt really defeated (due to some experiences I don't want to get into). I went through a weird funk..I couldn't concentrate much, I liked to while away time, nothing excited me and most of all, I wasn't inspired to work. Every new thing I started, I would leave unfinished thinking I'm not good enough. I didn't realize why I was feeling that way..all I knew was that I was a complete failure. I remember thinking there are a hundred other people more talented than me and I don't stand a chance in front of them. I even started to re-consider if I wanted to be an artist.

I'm pretty sure we all go through this phase of seriously doubting ourselves and our abilities..we feel like shit and think we've totally failed in life. If you thought its just you, you're not alone.

It took me a while..Almost 2 years to get out of that dump. I didn't care enough to share it with others..so I struggled through it myself (except for one person who always told me to believe in myself..but at that time it sounded like crap). But 2 years later, I was happy, confident and excited. I had a plan, things were going great and I was finally starting to believe that things happen for a reason..and that everything pays off in the end.

Then today happened. I feel like I'm back in that dump. Maybe not as deep emotionally but much deeper in reality. I feel defeated and I don't have a back up plan. 

I'm not sharing all this with you so you leave me comments telling me that everything will be alright..I know things work out in the end and I know something good will come out of this too..but right now, at this moment, I'm allowed to feel depressed.

Anyway, this too shall pass I know. But I wasn't in a state of mind to draw today. I had decided that I won't doodle today and continue tomorrow. But that would mean not completing the 10 day challenge. That again, would be a defeat. And no! I cannot afford to lose again. I'm not going back into the funk and leaving things unfinished. So I drew whatever my brain could handle. 

This one is called 'Release me'.

Today's theme - Pisces

Requested by my friend Supriya :)

Here is everything you want to know about us:

http://www.thepiscessign.com/all-about-pisces/

Every word in there is true to me! Such a typical Piscean I tell you :)

ROCK N ROLL !!!

My friend Kanishk (a crazy rock fan and one of my best friends) asked for today's theme to be rock n roll. This ones for you dude!! 

Totally jammed to Hendrix while doing this. Also went through millions of his pictures for reference. 

Lets call this a sketch. Can't call it a doodle because a. I used reference for the horse/knight b. I penciled the horse before drawing over it with pen. I slightly wandered from my challenge but oh! well :)

So todays theme is Fairy Tales! Every girl at some point thought she was a princess and someday Prince Charming would fight a ferocious dragon and come rescue her and they'd live happily ever after.

But in reality, Prince Charming isn't the one with a hot bod, brave face, dragon fighter...he is just the guy who loves you for who you are, is there for you when you need him and the guy you love to be around. 

Did I just write something romantic? eww :P

Also, have you been checking out Darren's blog?

Thanks to my friend K.Mo (who is getting married in July) I had no time to doodle yesterday. I spent all day at a dance practice (the performance of which will be on his reception day).

So spent the day dancing and then my friends and I decided to go out to dinner at 11pm. Thanks to my awesome friends (who patiently wait for me) I was able to carry my sketchbook to dinner. Started off at the restaurant..got back home..and continued till 3am. 

The doodle gods should be proud of me that I am not behind. I successfully completed Day 4.

So now if you excuse me..I'm going to get back to my Day 5 :)

This month, Indian Cinema has completed 100 years of being awesome! 100 years ago someone picked up a camera and shot a scene and started the magic that we now call Bollywood! That is so amazing !!

So my friend Sharat suggested using that theme in my next doodle. As much as I love the idea, it was really not possible to fit 100 years of awesomeness in one page and in one day. So keeping that as a side project, I decided to pay tribute to my favorite Bollywood movie. 

For many, considering the above, the immediate movies that come to mind are Sholay, Mother India, some Amitabh movie etc. With all due respect to these brilliant films, I do not connect with any of them. They are amazing to watch, marvel, get nostalgic, entertain..but I do not emotionally connect to any of them. Maybe because when they came out, I was too young to understand Cinema.

But I remember walking out of the theater after watching this particular movie..for the first time I was quiet. I didn't have an opinion..I couldn't make out what my mind was wondering..and I didn't say much till I got home. I knew I enjoyed the movie..but I didn't know why I was at a loss for words. 

It took a few days for the movie to sink in. I realized what was happening. For the first time I connected with a movie..I felt the emotions..I understood what the characters are doing and why they are doing it..I had paid attention to the cinematography..the dialogues..the acting..and I loved every bit of it. Its definitely not the best out there..but for me it is..because for the first time I was forced to experience the WHOLE movie.

Ever since, I have watched the movie a gazillion times (there was a phase when I watched it EVERYDAY for a few weeks). And whenever the movie plays, I'm the annoying friend who says the dialogues along with the movie. It still gives me goosebumps!

Well done Farhan Akhtar :) 

Wittle Munsters! :)

Also, Darren Simpson joined in!! Check out his Day 1 

I was gifted a sketch book with the most awesome illustrated cover : http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=185001008236795&set=a.134568043280092.25676.134154516654778&type=3&theater

(you MUST check out their other stuff). Anyway, coming back, I got this sketchbook as a gift and I didn't touch it for as long as I could (you know how its hard to touch pretty things coz you think you'll spoil them). But now that I'm back to Dubai, my hands were itching to tear apart the plastic and start drawing. Out came the plastic, drooled some more over the art, opened up a new crisp page, popped the pen cap..........stared at a blank page for 10 minutes. 

No worries..plugged in my auxillary cable, played some awesome music, and let the pen just flow. I don't have a concept or a theme behind my doodle..I just drew my chain of thoughts. It was relaxing...almost meditative because of the repeating patterns..and so fulfilling. I looked at the final design and was so pleased :) So much so that I decided to do this for the next 10 days.

Each day, new design, for 10 days!

I would love love love if anyone else wants to join me on this.