Dogs and Depression… The Story Behind my A to Z Dog Collection
I didn’t ever think I would be capable of holding such a heavy weight. My beautiful girl was suffering from depression and anxiety. I quickly found myself in a spiral of emotions. Fear, hopelessness and my own anxiety broke through like a thief in the night. I felt robbed and cheated. It felt like I lost years with my child. I wanted to punch depression and anxiety in the freakin face. I also knew if I didn’t get a handle on my own emotions I would quickly drown in the sorrow. On one particular day the spark of an idea hit me. I needed something for myself. I needed a symbol of hope. That hope came in the form of 2 floppy ears and a wet nose.
My Symbol of Hope
Because our dog is my daughter’s emotional support animal and I’ve seen the incredible power that animals can have with people, dogs became my symbol of hope. I wanted to create an entire collection of paintings capturing the joy and playfulness of dogs. Working in my very cold studio, wrapped in multiple blankets, I started to paint these animals, many of which are based on the pets of friends, family and acquaintances. I came to my dog project daily for several months. This symbol gave me the hope to continue on and believe in better days to come.
“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
Using Art to Manage My Emotions
The saying goes that in an emergency situation you must put on your own oxygen mask first before attempting to help someone else. Anyone that’s been the caregiver of someone with mental health struggles understands this struggle: YOU KNOW THIS IS TRUE BUT IT’S FREAKING HARD! When someone you love needs you so much, taking care of yourself can feel selfish. Yeah, I get that. For me, I came to the realization that neglecting myself was actually making me less available to show up in the best way. So I used what I had in front of me-art. As completely silly as this may sound, these dogs became the reflection of what I hoped for. I needed a way to check in with myself- art became the way that I did that.
“You use a glass mirror to see your face. You use works of art to see your soul.”
-George Bernard Shaw
The Courage to Share
To share what you create is quite possibly the scariest yet most liberating thing you can do. I didn’t really know what I was going to do with all these dogs when I first started to paint them. I had hoped to add them to a shop of some kind or to create some stationery. The more I started to share them online, the more I realized that my art was connecting with others. Maybe it was just a short pause to enjoy a simple process video or a quick smile as someone scrolled through their feed, but somehow, even in a small way I saw that it was making a difference. And in helping others, it opened myself up for personal healing. So thank you for letting me share my art, my stories and my thoughts with you. When I connect with you, I hope something inside of you smiles.
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”
-Brené Brown
I Created this Collection for Me, But It’s For You Too
While it’s true that this collection was born out of my own soul-searching, it is also for YOU. Art with happy animals just does something to bring a little joy to life, don’t you think? I wanted to create a quick and simple reminder to help uplift you throughout the day so I’ve created these 3 phone background images to add to your device. You can click on the link below to snag them. Thank you for being part of my art journey. You belong here.
Sign up below to get access to your freebie! You will get all 3 phone wallpapers as a digital download sent directly to your email. By signing up you'll have access to future treats, insider news and discount codes. Thanks for joining my community!
