Bhavya Doshi has a way of finding beauty in everyday things. And through her quirky, colourful doodles she shares it with the world on her Instagram page @thedoodledesk. “Art helps me capitalise on my obsession with colours, positivity, and happiness,” admits the Gurugram-based doodle artist.
Started in 2018, The Doodle Desk (TDD) harnesses the power of social media to inspire “the art of spreading joy”. The 31-year-old founder says she draws inspiration from her father, a doctor, who always strove to help others. “I wanted to do the same in my own way… To support the idea of being positive amidst the daily chaos of life,” says the artist, with BBA and MBA degrees and experience in corporate sales, marketing, content writing, social media planning, and graphic designing.
Edited excerpts from an interaction with the creator of cute doodles, good vibes, and an upcoming non-judgemental online community:
When did you start doodling?
Doodling has been a part of my life since childhood. After working in the corporate world, I realised that my true inclination was towards making art. Doodling has always been my happy place and I’m glad I took it up as my profession.
How did you train to become a doodle artist?
As a child, I took art classes every now and then, but as an adult, I never had the luxury of time… so most of the doodles that you see @thedoodledesk are self-taught digital art. My initial ideation process is invariably scribbled somewhere in my notebook.
What’s your work process like?
The ideas are 99% instinctive, but the execution part is well-planned. It starts with initial sketches on paper, which are then transferred and traced on my laptop with the help of a digital sketching pen. Post that, necessary stroke adjustments are made to make the doodle look fuller and finished. The next step is adding and adjusting the colours, which takes the maximum time, because the colour combinations have to be right before I post them on my social media handles.
How important is social media?
About three years ago, I started posting hand-drawn doodles on my Instagram page once in a while. But with time, I realised that I needed to showcase my art in a unique and cleaner way. I needed to put across my thoughts in a digitised manner so that it would be easier to print them or convert them into print-friendly designs. It took some courage and faith to put my work out there. But I started receiving so much love and respect for my work from all over the world that it motivated me to work harder. Social media has been one of my biggest motivating factors and platforms to project my fun, colourful illustrations.
How would you define your style of work?
My style, like my personality, focuses on cute yet strong characters empowered by whimsical and motivational situations. Around these characters, I build a delicate level of detail through expressions. Each doodle is born with an inspirational thought and can take about one to three hours to manifest on screen.
What is the purpose of your doodle art?
With increased competition, relationship anxieties and body image issues, there’s a lot on young people’s minds these days. Seeking help can be hard. It helps to talk about how you feel, and the doodles are often the starting point for many. Also, it’s good to wake up to something positive. I am in the process of creating an online community, for like-minded people, who are willing to share and care anonymously. Being an anonymous contributor makes it easier to share one’s thoughts and feelings without the fear of being judged. That is all we need today - no judgements!
Is doodling a financially viable career choice?
Brands and companies nowadays are constantly looking at innovative ways of creating visual content, and love the idea of incorporating illustrations everywhere - from their packaging to social media strategy. Hence, as an artist, if you have the content right, I believe the right business opportunities will come your way. Do what you love, love what you do.