Red Bull Doodle Art National Finals

I am so honored that my illustration was selected as one of the top twelve pieces for the Red Bull Doodle Art Contest! I was invited to attend the National Finals in New York City to celebrate and meet the other contestants. When I received the news that I was chosen out of 12,000 submissions in the United States, I simply didn’t believe it. I even emailed Red Bull’s fraud department to make sure it was true!

I found out about the contest last minute while I was lying in bed, mindlessly scrolling through TikTok. I came across a video of Devyn Wensley doodling on a piece of paper and announcing that she was going to be one of the judges at the National Finals. I’ve been following and admiring her work for a while, and I never expected to meet her in person just a few weeks later.

The prompt for this year’s contest was to portray a “love for life.” I immediately felt inspired to enter because I enjoy creating portraits out of doodles that describe the subject’s interests and passions. Appreciation for life is a theme that I already try to express in my artwork, so I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to share what I love about our world. In addition to how successfully we executed the concept, we were also judged on our creativity and artistic skill.

I was on a bit of a time crunch, so I took a quick reference photo of myself in the middle of the night. I did not have a can of Red Bull available, so I pretended to drink a bottle of fragrance just to get the pose down. I spent the following day working on my illustration, barely taking breaks to eat. When I draw, I get into a hyper-focused flow state that I rarely experience with other activities. I’ve read articles about the benefits of doodling and how it can improve concentration. When I used to doodle during my high school classes, I became so focused on doodling to the point that I did not hear anything that the teacher said. Many people think of doodling as something you do on the side, perhaps subconsciously while you are bored or listening to something else more important. For me, I always got sucked into my imagination and I prioritized all of my attention on doodling. Everything else became white noise. I enjoy listening to audiobooks as I work, but it can be pretty hard to get through to me when I am in my own world.

I traveled from Los Angeles to New York on Friday, March 31, 2023. Flying always makes me anxious, especially when I am alone, but I was excited for the weekend ahead. I had no idea what to expect, but Red Bull spoiled us and treated us like VIP from the moment we arrived. I should have practiced my signature because we were all autographing each other’s pamphlets at the reception dinner on the first night. I met many amazing people including the eleven other Finalists, event coordinators, and Red Bull employees. I enjoyed getting to know the other artists and learning about their creative process. Everyone interpreted the prompt differently and had an interesting story behind their drawing, which gave me an even stronger appreciation for their work.

The main event took place on Saturday, April 1 at The Whitney Museum in Manhattan. When we arrived in the morning, we received a private tour of the thought-provoking exhibition, “no existe un mundo poshuracán: Puerto Rican Art in the Wake of Hurricane Maria.” We then proceeded to the main event, where we got to see our Red Bull Doodle Art pieces on display at the museum.

As a National Finalist, I had the privilege of attending a workshop led by aforementioned Devyn Wensley, who taught us about breaking creative boundaries and stepping out of our comfort zones. With her guidance, we collaborated on a drawing with randomly assigned partners. I was amazed by all of the colorful and experimental creations I saw within just one hour.

Throughout the day, I also got to participate in an interactive doodle installation titled “Painted Faces.” The project was organized by Alex Alpert, a professional artist and expert doodler based in New York City. Even though we were technically at a competition, I liked how this event encouraged us to work with each other and connect with fellow artists. The other Finalists were not only talented doodlers, but they were also nice, compassionate, and friendly people.

Although I did not win first place and therefore will not be advancing to the Global Finals in Amsterdam, I am really happy and grateful that I got to experience this rare opportunity. I am proud of myself for taking a chance by entering this competition, and I am excited to continue on my art journey!

April 5, 2023