Do the doodle

Unique hobbies

Sneha Paul has been an art enthusiast for as long as she can remember. She spends most of her leisure time doodling and indulging in other craft-related activities.

Her interest in art germinated during her school days. Those days, she used to watch cartoon shows on TV and tried to recreate the characters on paper.

“I found it quite thrilling to create my own characters. I used to simply scribble on paper but what came out were interesting patterns and doodles. That is when I realised that I can actually make sense out of these pictures,” explains Sneha, a communication professional.

Her scribbles took a new route after she did a thorough research on the internet and went through the works of different artists. She then started making doodles of monsters and abstract designs.

“I enjoy doodling plain, everyday objects and not anything complicated. Apart from doodling, I am also into creating ‘mandalas’ — something, that I came across on the internet and was absolutely fascinated by. I am someone who likes perfection, intricacies and detailing and I believe ‘mandalas’ are a great way to express that,” adds Sneha.

Most of her doodles have a concept or a storyline behind it, however, there are also times when she just follows her thoughts to create a doodle. Apart from doodling, she is into making fridge magnets and caricatures apart from  upcycling products.

Ask her how she balances her work and hobby and she says, “It is difficult to balance my job and my passion, but I have always believed that if one really likes something, finding time for it comes naturally. I make sure to take out one to two hours every day to pursue my hobby. At the end of the day, a hobby is never a stressful thing, in fact, it acts as a stressbuster for me. I also utilise the weekend completely to pursue my passion.”

She also looks up to her elder sister, who is also an artist, for inspiration. “Social media has also helped me a lot in terms of connecting with people from around the world who have the same interest. For me, a hobby is an extension of one’s self. I wouldn’t want to take it up as a career because I don’t want to be pressurised by what I love doing. I would like to do it when I want to be myself,” she adds.

Ask her about her favourite doodle and she quickly replies, “I made a doodle on a guitar for one of my friends, it was a guitar that was not in working condition and she wanted me to upcycle it and make it into a showpiece. I spend a long time making it and it will remain a favourite of mine. There is another piece I made for my father on his 70th birthday, it is a ‘mandala’ of his zodiac sign — Libra.”
The support she receives from her family and friends keeps her motivated and encourages her to try new things.

(Sneha can be contacted at [e-mail])