Why Cloud Doodles?
How my dog helped me with my mental health
I have struggled with anxiety and depression my whole life. Having a dog eased my symptoms during the most difficult periods.
Duchess and I found each other during the summer of 2015. It was the summer I got my first job out of grad school. I was a new social worker on the frontlines of combatting a homeless epidemic in one of the richest countries in the world. It was a rewarding job and also emotionally taxing. Duchess came to work with me at times bringing a fluffy ball of light to everyone as well as helping me get through the days. On the days she didn’t come to work, I would come home and her love, squeaks, and licks brought me joy and smiles. Taking her out for walks helped me savor the now and leave my hurdles behind. Waking up in the morning to my daily “moisturizing facials” was and still is the best part of my day. Duchess brought a whole new meaning to my life.
In 2018, I experienced a massive life shift that sent me into a depression. It was the type of depression that getting out of bed in the morning felt impossible almost fatal. It was like a bag of rocks sat on top of me while cement glued me into my bed. It was heavy. Dark. Lonely. The only reason I had to get up was to take Duchess out so she wouldn’t go potty in the house. Once I got outside and took her around the block I would come back to my apartment and decide to get ready for work since I was up anyway. She was the force that got me moving throughout my day. At night she would curl up at my side and kept me company. She licked my tears away as I sobbed uncontrollably. She was my rock—my life force. I would think to myself,
“If I kill myself, then who will take care of Duchess?”
She kept me alive.
It was this experience that helped me understand the power of having a dog in my life.
Through conversations with friends and through discussions with people I have met through Duchess’ Instagram account, I learned that my story is not unique. For many reasons dogs have such a positive effect on human mental health.
The birth of Cloud Doodles
In 2019, I experienced a second huge life shift. I took a chance on love and moved to Amsterdam with Duchess. In 2020, I gave birth to a baby girl in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. During this period, my husband suggested I start an Instagram account for Duchess for me to have a fun project. We noticed that when we walked Duchess peoples faces light up at seeing her. Our followers started referring to her as a cloud—a reference I had heard throughout her whole life. I wanted to support other puppers on Instagram and create a supportive community where people could connect from all over the world. The hashtag #fluffycloudsquad materialized as a way to showcase other pup clouds on Duchess’ page.
As we rolled into 2021, my husband and I needed to make some decisions about where we wanted to raise our child as well as our next career moves. He is an industrial psychologist and I, a licensed clinical social worker. As I continued to grow Duchess’ account, I came across many dog accessory brands, but none of the patterns and designs felt like my style. I kept imagining different patterns I would like, but I kept thinking to myself,
“No this is such a bad idea, I can’t go from being a therapist to designing and selling dog accessories”.
Luckily I live with a career coach. I finally had the courage to tell him my idea certain he would say it was silly. To my surprise, he said,
“All good business ideas start like this. It’s coming to you organically go with it and see where it takes you”.
I have a Bachelor’s in studio arts. Art has always been a part of me. I have been drawing and doodling ever since I can remember especially all over my notebooks during class. So, I started doodling again. First with pens and watercolor then I gave the IPad and apple pen a try. I came up with about 8 designs.
One day, as I doodled while watching Netlfix, it dawned on me,
“Dogs and doodling are good for your mental health”
I was giddy with excitement. OMG I figured it out! I figured out how to bring all of my passions together! I will create a platform to raise awareness about mental health and how dogs are so beneficial for ours!
“I’ll call it Cloud Doodles”.
