As many of us were isolated during the pandemic, especially in its early days, artist/illustrator/teacher Robert Seaman, 88, was especially so. During a lockdown period at the assisted living facility he calls home, he desperately needed a creative outlet and turned to his life-long passion–drawing—to help buoy him in dark times. He began creating a doodle a day. These Daily Doodles turned his activity into a way to give back.

We’re proud to share the story of Robert Seaman, in his own words.

I read about your doodles in the story the Associated Press published. Are you continuing to create them daily?

At the moment I’m still going. I’m working on #440 right now. The list of people who enjoy getting them seems to grow. It’s been an interesting journey.

Can you tell me more about how the journey began?

It started as something to do while I was shut in by the pandemic. It started as entertainment for myself, if nothing else, and for a few friends. People began to get interested in them. The thing that made it so exciting is that people said it helped brighten their day. I will either run out of epidemic or paper before I run out of ideas.

Where do the ideas for your doodles come from?

When the sun comes up in the morning it casts shadows on the fridge door that are interesting. I might turn that into an abstract doodle. Frequently I will start drawing anything and it’s like a word association. It leads to something else and takes on its own life.

I understand you have been selling prints and originals at your Etsy store. How has that been going?

In terms of sales, I’ve sold over 4 or 500 14-by-17 prints since May. I’m selling originals too. My daughter, Robin Hayes, is also an artist and she runs my Etsy store. At first we donated a portion of the sales to COVID research, but then we decided to donate to local charities like Hundred Nights Shelter, Project HOME and Amazing Grace Animal Sanctuary.

Have you ever been philanthropic with your artwork in the past?

I also took part in an adopt-a-statue program sponsored by the city of Boston to raise money to maintain public art. I did a drawing of 14 or 15 statues that were given to donors.

Tell me about your life before you became an artist. I understand you worked in real estate?

Yes I spent most of my working life in commercial industrial real estate. I had a small company and I worked in the Boston area covering New England and doing some consulting in Texas and Florida.

When was your passion for creating art born?

I was always drawing and painting. I grew up in Long Island. My mother was a good painter and her father painted. In my adult life I started illustrating some books on the side as an avocation, and that grew into magazine illustration. I was always doing that as well as real estate. I finally knew I had to take a big chance. Toward the end of my business life I was so depressed and unhappy I didn’t want to get up in the morning and go to work. In a minute I made the decision to make a living as an artist full-time. I was 60 years old. I came to New Hampshire in 1998 to live in Peterborough, although I also had a summer home here in the 60s. I moved to Keene and lived there until a year ago when I moved to Maplewood.

How did you get started in magazine illustration?

A friend who was in the real estate business with me was the son of (entertainer) Hoagy Carmichael, who was an avid fisherman. He was doing a book on bamboo flyrods and his son recommended I do the illustration. I did eight books for Hoagy Carmichael, which led to my doing illustration for Fly Fisherman magazine for many years. I never regretted leaving the business world. I always managed to get a good night’s sleep and three meals a day.

Tell me about your teaching work.

I taught for years at Sharon Arts Center, mostly basic drawing and some painting classes. I would get students from RiverMead (Lifecare Community) in Peterborough. I had one student who was 91 years old who came to take my drawing class and another who was 87. I did that 15 or so years. I enjoyed teaching. I taught people how to see things. That’s the trick behind drawing, being able to see things. I tried to get people to understand they have pictures in their head, and they need to be able to see what’s in their mind and translate it back onto the sheet of paper. It’s a process.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to have a career as an artist?

Well the human condition is the need to be creative in some fashion—that’s what humanity is all about. I tell young people to find the thing they love most and pursue it.

Arts Alive! is the recipient of the Daily Doodles donations in the month of August 2021. See the doodles for sale in the Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SeamanCovidDoodles