New beginnings (Matthew 5:15)

For just over two years I had set up shop at:

After 130+ post, I had put together a lot of great pictures and thoughts, but I hadn't pulled in the people that the work really deserved. About a year ago I felt a strong pull to actively publicize the blog. I was excited and ready to go, but soon thereafter other things took precedence, specifically planning a wedding. In the hustle and bustle as a newlywed, my free time was re-prioritized to reflect the path I desire for my new family. Through prayer and meditation I began to trim away the things that were good but not best. As the overwhelming to-do list became less cluttered, I felt that strong pull to publicize this blog again. I glanced through some of my previous posts, and I was surprised at what I saw. It was almost like reading someone else’s work. I remember drawing that picture and writing those words, but at the same time these old posts felt far greater than I was capable of creating. It reminded me of those “Aha!” moments I had when the doodles and explanations first came together. It was time to stop hiding this little light of mine under a bushel (Matthew 5:15). Not only is that a fire hazard, but it’s also a waste of the talents I’ve been given.

With a renewed commitment it was time to take a step of faith and buy the domain name! And just like that it was over before it began. My domain was no longer available. This was a blow to my ego and made me question if I was wrong about pushing the blog. I took a moment to re-evaluate the situation and in my confusion I was given a revelation of joy, and I knew it was time to keep moving forward.

Next week I’ll explain how I pulled together this new name, but for now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty. Here’s the new plan; specifically how it differs from the old.

(1) I spent a lot of time during the initial run to upgrade my drawings into a perfect computer graphic. While I’m overwhelmingly pleased with how those turned out, quite frankly it just took way too long to do. Instead of spending the extra time perfecting a single drawing, I’ll spend it making two new ones. The recent trial run of this drawing plan through the first 12 chapters of Genesis went great. I was able to finish enough doodles to post one a week and I’ve come to appreciate the imperfections of a hand-drawn image. In all honesty I still retouch the images a little to fix errors and improved spacing, but on the whole it’s the same feel as the original.

(2) I’m attempting to branch out to various online communities to increase visibility. So why don’t you join in the fun and pass the doodles around. On top of that, the things you probably won’t notice are the little details in the background that make this blog more useful to search engines. Believe you me, they’re there now.

(3) I’ve simplified the page format but plan to diversify the content. A bunch of new types of doodles are in the pipeline. SOAP probably won't ever return since it was a little too restrictive, but I liked the focus on application.

Overall I have only one goal:

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

If I can take care of this, I won’t need to worry about anything else.