If you did a google search at any time today, then you immediately noticed today’s Google Doodle by Akilah Johnson. Johnson, a high school tenth grader, won this year’s Doodle for Google contest, winning a 30K college scholarship and 50K worth of technology for her school. I did not actually know about the contest but was immediately drawn to Johnson’s doodle called “My AfroCentric Life.”
My initial reaction was related to the adult coloring book trend. I have been curious in the past few months about adult coloring books and their supposed connection to mindfulness and mental health. I tend to flip through the pages when I encounter one. Though I have an abundant supply of colored pencils and markers, I seldom use these utensils for any concentrated creativity anymore. More importantly, I’ve never been compelled to actually purchase one of these coloring books because I am not particularly inspired by the designs, though I appreciate their intricacy. I am always annoyed that Africanized cultures are ommitted despite the undeniable power of pattern and design in African visual life. Though I contemplate doing my own Afrocentric pages, I just never managed to do that work. When I saw Johnson’s artwork, I thought: see THERE it is! Her signature black sharpie, black crayon, and colored pencil style should be an inspiration for what an Afrocentric coloring book and line-design project could offer.
