The Doodler Dentist

It’s not everyday that you get to see a dentist who doodles. Well, Shobha Philip  a.k.a. The Doodler Dentist, lightens up people with her art and is dedicated to her passion, her practice and her family.

Although she loved drawing throughout her childhood, the gears were set into motion by the nudge given by her husband and their best friend. While working as a dentist, she used to get some time off in her busy work schedule during which she rediscovered art and slowly found herself completely  immersed in it. In her words, if it hadn’t been for the constant encouragement, it would’ve been another pile of books in her cupboard. Slowly her self esteem increased as she went deeper into doodling.
Inspired by a tapestry she once saw at an outbound training camp called, ‘Will on Woods’ she started drawing Mandalas (Mandalas are abstract designs that are usually circular in form). The symmetry and precision were mesmerizing to her and led to her creating some amazing mandalas. With steady practice they became flawless.

“Each person’s life is like a mandala – a vast, limitless circle. We stand in the center of our own circle, and everything we see, hear and think forms the mandala of our life.” 

~Pema Chodron

It was during her pregnancy that she became deeply involved in her art. She found that it had positive effects on her. Doodling was a pillow she would often fall back on. It kept her grounded and cheerful. She believes it keeps one’s anxiety at bay and balances energy, as it did for her. Her most sought after artwork is ‘Life in a Doodle’ in which she recreates memories and instances from a person’s life and encompasses it in one doodle. The joy in her customers eyes is Shobha’s greatest driving factor. A bubbly persona with a charming smile, Shobha has only this to say to any aspiring artist still hesitant to take a shot: “Embrace uncertainty. Nobody starts knowing it all. Practice, patience and time fixes everything. Every great artist out there started out with a tiny doodle notebook. Maybe tomorrow your art will be on billboards! How will you know unless you try?”

Story feature: Michelle, Athira Maria