We always love seeing the annual winners of the Doodle 4 Google contest, and this year’s huge congrats go out to Akilah Johnson, a super talented Washington DC tenth grader who answered the challenge question, “What makes me…me” with a beautifully visual response called “My Afrocentric Life.”
In describing it, she talked how the process of creating it actually helped her discover more about what her art means and why it matters to her, which is pretty cool.
Here’s an excerpt of how Akilah wrote about her illustration:
My goal with my art was to not only turn heads but souls as well—not only for someone to see it and be amazed by it but also to have them understand and connect with it. My drawing explores childhood themes and then moves into reflections on our society. Everything surrounding the word “Google” depicts my characteristics. Of all the things I chose to include, the six most special to me are the Symbol of Life (the ankh), the African continent, where everything began for me and my ancestors, the Eye of Horus, the word “power” drawn in black, the woman’s fist based on one of my favorite artist’s works, and the D.C. flag—because I’m a Washingtonian at heart and I love my city with everything in me!
We have no doubt she’ll keep creating amazing work that matters.
But she’s not the only one!
The national Doodle 4 Google finalists are also pretty amazing, with four incredible illustrations from each of four age groups. But poke around the site, searching by state or by age. Here are just a few that really caught my eye, though honestly, every single one is worth a quick peek.
Share them with your kids, too. Mine are quite captivated.
Tech Makes Me Me, by Micah Linton Smith, Connecticut
Asian Culture Google Doodle by Christina Wu, California
Google Wood Bookcase Doodle by Jocelyn Valentin, Pennsylvania (also a finalist)
Pachanga Google Doodle by Bonita Rael, Colorado
Fifteen Years of Me Google Doodle by Srivasudha Jayanthi, Delaware
What Do Drawing, Running, Writing and Mississippi Have in Common? Google Doodle by Marie Konopacki, Mississippi
Telling Tall Tales Google Doodle, Ashton Lear, West Virginia
And another big congrats to all the winners and finalists! Let us know if any of you are looking for graphic design internships, ‘kay?
Wow! Thanks for featuring me in your post! It means a lot that someone who lives far from me saw my doodle and liked it enough to highlight it like this. I’m really happy to have been chosen as a winner, although like you said, all the other doodles are really amazing as well!
Congrats Vasu! We look forward to seeing what comes next from you!