We always stand on the shoulders of those who come before us.
I’ve been creating Doodle Cards and other graphics almost every day since May 2016, and just self-published an eBook based on them. Looking back now, I don’t create them only myself; I can keep creating something every day because I always get inspired by the people who I respect.
Here is a list of individuals who always inspire and uplift me, even during a tough time:
James Altucher (Twitter: @jaltucher) – I read his book “Choose Yourself” in 2015, and it reconstructed my belief system. I’ve been reading his blog since then. When I first posted a visual note of his podcast, he shared it with his audience—that was a huge surprise to me, and also motivated me to keep creating and sharing my work with the world.
Sunni Brown (@SunniBrown) – Her book, “The Doodle Revolution,” inspired me to draw. Without her book, I wouldn’t start doodling—and you would never see my Doodle Cards.
Doug Neill (@douglaspneill) – I took one of his online courses, “An Introduction to Visual Note-Taking,” and it really helped me understand how to communicate better with visuals.
Eric Barker (@bakadesuyo) – Eric’s blog, bakadesuyo.com, has helped me maintain my mental health. Eric is another person who often shared my work with his audience and helped me gain a public exposure.
Mike Rohde (@rohdesign) – I haven’t had a chance to get in touch with Mike yet, but his book “The Sketchnote Handbook” and the global community of sketch-noters, Sketchnote Army, have inspired me a lot.
Tod Brilliant (Instagram: @todesbrilliant) – Tod is the founder of the Super Nice Club and one of the influencers who started sharing my work with his audience in my early days.
And lastly—you. Yes, you. I can continue creating something every day because there are people who see my work. It doesn’t matter whether you “Like” my post or not; what is important to me is to do my best to make my work as inspirational as possible so that you can get something that is worth spending your time.