🎧 WANG DANG DOODLE

Author

Claude Mudimbe
May 23, 2025

Hey LEX-

So I got the idea for this week’s piece while scrolling through Facebook.

I just happened to land on some random podcaster educating his guest about the artist Mr. Doodle who became a multi-millionaire sensation with huge sales in Asia and millions of followers with his “doodle drawings”.

Just hearing the word Doodle reminded me of listening to The Grateful Dead’s version of the song Wang Dang Doodle at multiple shows in the 90’s. Yep - I loved me some Grateful Dead!


Wang Dang Doodle:
A term from blues culture that refers to a lively, energetic party or celebration characterized by uninhibited enjoyment, dancing, and authentic self-expression.

And just like that, my brain went into squirrel mode and came up with random associations on how to turn that memorable phrase into an easy-to-remember, step-by-step framework for us.

Here’s the original stream of consciousness email I sent to myself sketching out the idea:


We goin pitch a Wang Dang Doodle all night long 

History / blues 

Ryan coogler - mississippi 

1. Wang . Asian name.   Vera Wang (late bloomer designer/ entrepreneur) 

2. Dang nabbit (nitty gritty/ frustration) or Dang? Shuck and awe/ amazement and wonder - Curiosity phase? 

3. Doodle: Execution. Making the plan. Draw/ Map out plan  

-------------

Attention: Awareness (vera wang)

Amazement: Wonder (ZOP, asking questions, curiosity may have killed the cat but satisfaction brought him back) 

Action: 

A 3 step formula for ________ 

And those notes became this 3 Step…

Yep; dyslexic minds at work!

  1. WANG: Awaken to your unique dyslexic strengths

  2. DANG: Appreciate the power in what makes you different

  3. DOODLE: Act on small shifts that amplify your natural talents

Words that didn’t make the final cut of the article:

🟢 Humdinger: 
Something remarkable, extraordinary, or excellent of its kind; an outstanding or exceptional person, event, or thing that generates excitement or enthusiasm.

🟢 Wing Ding:
A lively, boisterous social gathering, party, or celebration. Often characterized by high spirits, enjoyment, and festivity.

🟢 Wang Chung:
British new wave band from the 1980s. In their hit song "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," the chorus famously includes the line where they sing the band's name, creating one of the most recognizable and catchy hooks from that era - "Everybody Wang Chung tonight".

👆🏽👆🏽👆🏽

These are more than some funny words that happen to include lots of g's and d's.

These playful phrases have something important in common—they're all about breaking free from convention and expressing authentic energy.

Truth is: the most amazing breakthroughs don't come from following someone else's blueprint….

They come from letting your own rhythm guide you forward.

You know….

Sometimes the most brilliant Humdingers don't need perfect systems—they just need a bit of that Wang Dang Wing Ding Doodle Energy to get out of your head and into the world.

Stay UP 🔼 
Claude

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