While yes, with a prompt of “Yellow Submarine” today, I do have that Beatles song stuck in my head, I unfortunately got distracted since it’s close to dinner time and ended up with a yellow-ish sub sandwich instead. As for the Beatles song, Paul McCartney wrote most of it and it was meant to be a children’s song, with easy to sing and remember lyrics. While he was heading to sleep one night, what I can only assume was his inner child whispered, “it would be nice to be on a yellow submarine where all your friends are with a band.” And so, history was made. I have to agree with this idea and adore the whimsical thinking it evokes. I’m quite sure my own inner child would have thought it equally cool to live inside a submarine sandwich also, as long as I could invite all of my friends, of course. There’s also a psychedelic animated Beatles movie of the same name which came out a few years before I was born. The music adoring residents of Pepperland are experiencing a siege by the Blue Meanies, and only the Beatles can save them. It’s definitely a movie written entirely by one’s inner child, and has become a much-loved cult classic.
There were lots of weird and wonderful movies and shows like Yellow Submarine that showed up in my youth. From the late 50’s through the 70’s, it seemed that everything created was directly from the mind of the creator without a lot of editing. And most of the earlier gems were still playing when I was a kid. My favorite was watching Twilight Zone episodes, and Philippe and I started rewatching some of them together. Well, I was rewatching them as he hadn’t seem them yet. The stories and situations are odd and incredible, but the messages are perfectly timeless. And as I watch them, I realize that stories like that wouldn’t be made in quite the same way today. There’s a charm to a simple story well-told versus the over-produced approach to much of what can be found today. There are more tools and toys that can bring a story to life, but the life I always adored came from the mind of the creator. Or, most often, the creator’s inner child. It’s the same reason why I loved listening to singer/songwriters from the 70’s, long before the world invented autotune. If singing in tune isn’t actually your thing, then try some other wonderful creative outlet instead. Or, better yet, just sing off-key and be proud to be YOU!
There’s a lot more persona-making today than in the past. Crafting a person that’s not quite the person you really are, but the one you can easily invent to replace that person. I’ve struggled with this from the moment I started this blog. I’m just me. I don’t have an alter-ego or a superman costume waiting for me in the corner of a phone booth. I say whatever comes to mind without editing and that’s really not how you’re supposed to DO things these days. But, I have a love and a penchant for the past. Those days when technology was just a thrilling possibility and stories still had to be penned by hand and could even have wonderful little errors as well. Don’t get me wrong, I adore all of the things that technology can make happen. But, I don’t want technology to change who I really am in the process. I don’t want to be someone better. I’m happy and delighted to be perfectly flawed, silly, and childish me! Perfection is weird to me as it seems to exclude all of the interesting bits. I will most definitely never achieve the fame of the Beatles, but I love that they always created songs from the heart. Wildly catchy songs that I’m still singing to this day, while I imagine just what it might be like to live in a yellow submarine.
Want To Sketch Stuff With Me? Check Out My New Activity Book!
About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Nickel Azo Yellow, Quinacridone Red, Leaf Green, Opus (Vivid Pink), Cobalt Turquoise, Terra Cotta and Cobalt Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
![]() |
Recommended6 recommendationsPublished in By Charlie
Charlie I love your sub. It makes me hungry.
Thanks so much, Karen! 😃💕That’s always a wonderful compliment for a food illustration!
Lol! I knew you wouldn’t do the obvious painting for the prompt, but you totally surprised me today. I think I’ll live in my submarine sub, though – I think yours would get a bit soggy after a while!
Thanks, Sandra! 😃💕 Glad I can still surprise you! lol I always surprise me as well, actually. I’ve literally no idea what will happen when I finally have time to site down to sketch! But, yeah… it would be a bit soggy after awhile as a home. hehe
I always had a soft spot for Eleanor Rigby. Keeping her face in a jar by the door is such a great image.
That sub looks wonderful! I had beef burgundy for lunch today. It was book group and we read a Bruno, Chief of Police mystery for today and it’s full of food references. So one member made this which she said I just beef stew with wine in it. But it was a good read.
Yum!! That sounds like a lovely book group lunch indeed. Delicious! And I’ll have to check out that book. Love mysteries! 😃💕
Charlie, it’s always interesting to see what you’ll come up for the day’s prompt. I think this submarine sandwich needs a bit more mustard but I’d still love a bite.
The Beatles album was a fun romp but the film attracted adoring attention mostly because of the Peter Max-like psychedelic art that was a part of hippie culture in the late 60’s. The story made little sense but it wasn’t the point. Fun memories for folks of a certain age – like me. Hee hee hee.
Thanks, Sharon! 😃💕Yeah, I was thinking mustard would have made it even more yellow! hehe Yeah, the film made no sense really, but it was such a fun ride! hehe
Yeah, nothing like the music of the 60s and 70s! It was great to come of age then, and I still prefer that music today. Interestingly, many younger people feel the same way.
Yeah, I think a lot of the interest in vintage is discovering that we had a lot of good stories to tell back then! 😉
I liked the prompt of to dax.
Thanks so much, Snehlata! 😃💕
Yummy looking sub sandwich…You are really good with your food sketching..👏👏👏
Thanks so much, Anita! 😃💕 I used to do it much more, but haven’t as much lately, so it was fun to sketch food again!
A new favorite quote “Perfection is weird to me as it seems to exclude all of the interesting bits…”.
And, that is one delicious looking sub 🙂
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕You know, of course, I read myself quoted back I don’t even remember typing it. But, that one is kind of good, isn’t it? hehe
WOW! What a great sketch! This was an easy prompt for me in my Disney theme….the submarines in Disneyland are yellow! I haven’t gotten to that one yet, but soon!
Thanks so much, Lori! 😃💕And adore that you have a Disney theme… hehe… I totally heart Disney. Walt got his start here in Kansas City where I live, and even met “that mouse” for the first time while here.
Oh yeah, I’m well aware of Walt’s history. 😉
LOL, Charlie, you are not “childish”, you are “child-like” in the way you see the world and it is one of the most charming things about you. Your sense of wonder is contagious and it encourages my own inner child to come out and play more often.
That makes me so happy to hear, Sandra! 😃💕That’s my sincere hope with everything I contribute to our community. I just want to provide a fun playground for us all to enjoy our natural creativity!
Looks yummy!!! And always celebrate wonder it’s a lovely way to see life. My wonder side never sleeps i live there lol 🙂
Yay to that, Lisa!! 😃💕You and me both! I love living in my wonder side!
that delicious looking sub really caught my eye…and reminded me that I forgot to stop for lunch….
gotta do something about that and a sub sounds great!
Charlie says, “Don’t get me wrong, I adore all of the things that technology can make happen. But, I don’t want technology to change who I really am in the process.”
Those words are as ful(filling) as the sub. They are wise and memorable.
Thanks so much, Sarah! 😃💕 Glad you enjoyed this one! And yeah… I don’t like the way technology seems to be writing the rules. I don’t want to talk to robots, only people… but if you don’t talk to the robots, then people can’t find you. It’s a Twilight Zone episode indeed! hehe