About Katie
I’m Katie Rudge - a performer, narrative illustrator, and creator of Dame Doodah -a twinkly world of ink, watercolour, illustrations and creature‑led storytelling - whereimagination, music, drawing and life meet - and celebrate creativity.
I believe wholeheartedly in the positive benefits of creativity - I’ve experienced firsthand, as a student, performer, and teacher, how developing creativity can support learning, wellbeing, confidence, compassion, and kindness. The heart of Dame Doodah is about encouraging creativity - and an exploration of how to build that skill - nurture it and harness it - for life. And to share experiences of how creativity and The Arts can support well-being, learning, performing and connection with ourselves, the world around us and beyond.
Getting creative and using our imagination isn’t something we should ever have to grow out of - it’s a skill we can all develop that helps us to keep on growing - at every age, on every stage in every walk of life.
Drawing, painting, and writing has always been a part of my daily routine, practise, singing, teaching, and performing - and my musical life influences the way I create art. Each practice opens something in the other - and for me, they belong together.
Dame Doodah began as a character I drew with my dad while he was unwell. We discovered how much of a lifeline creating art, writing and enjoying music can be - it became essential in helping us face the challenges ahead. It helped us to live life to the fullest together as a family - and make sense of ourselves and the world we live in, and most crucially, keep navigating towards the light of creativity, even in the darkest times.
Over the years, Dame Doodah has remained the matriarchal figure behind the illustrations: warm, playful, loving, quirky, and standing strong to guide the way. This site is an illustrated journal of her world - a place where twinklies, creatures, and human moments come alive through ink, watercolour, and story. It has grown over more than twenty years: from sketchbooks and the margins of music books to classrooms, rehearsal rooms, performances, and the tiny observations that begin as seeds and grow into something meaningful.
Over the years, Dame Doodah has remained the matriarchal figure behind the illustrations: warm, playful, loving, quirky, and standing strong to guide the way. This site is an illustrated journal of her world - a place where twinklies, creatures, and human moments come alive through ink, watercolour, and story. It has grown over more than twenty years: from sketchbooks and the margins of music books to classrooms, rehearsal rooms, performances, and the tiny observations that begin as seeds and grow into something meaningful.
You’ll often spot Jimmy, our black cat, wandering through my illustrations. He’s my daily reminder of humour, warmth, and the wisdom animals bring.
Creativity has been the thread running through my whole life - music, art, dance, theatre, writing, and a deep love of animals and the natural world - my work is always rooted in making the most of the precious little time we have on this beautiful earth.
Thank you for visiting - I hope you enjoy these pages as much as I love creating them. y