Two years ago, feeling smothered by a too-hectic life, Melissa Lloyd started doodling aimlessly. No pressure to create, no goal in mind, just pencil and paper. “I love to be busy but I came to a place and I thought enough is enough, I’m not feeling those moments,” says the designer and creator of local stationery line DOODLE Lovely. “When you’re on autopilot you’re not in the present a lot of the time, there’s a lack of feeling.” After finding some zen within her sketch pad—accidentally staying up until the wee hours scrawling circles and lines—she launched her own line of colouring books and journals to pass it on.
“It’s an incredible relaxation tool—I lost myself in it,” says Lloyd. “I wanted people to take five minutes out of their day to take a breath. There’s not enough people stepping back and acquainting themselves with who they are, stopping the mental chattering.” One of her latest creations, Creative Mind, Happy Soul is part-journal, part-colouring book that makes space for a little daily wandering, notetaking and reflection that’s easy and attainable. “The act of doodling is way more than what people realize, a lot of people think it’s dilly dallying or not paying attention,” she says. “It’s much the opposite.” Get your copy of Creative Mind, Happy Soul online, or pick one up at Inkwell Modern Handmade Boutique (1658 Market Street) and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (1723 Hollis Street).
