My dearest Sweatpants & Coffee family,
I need to tell you a story. It’s about being vulnerable and examining your fears and how ideas turn into beauty and connection.
The Anxiety Blob was born as a doodle in September of 2015. I was feeling anxious and “other” and I also needed to post something on our Facebook page, so I quickly sat down and drew what my anxiety felt like. Apparently, my anxiety closely resembles a vaguely worried potato which I eventually named the Anxiety Blob.
Soon after, a friend commissioned a crafter to create actual Blobs as a gift for me. I posted about them on social media and immediately people began asking to buy them.
The blob became a great source of comfort to me and others, especially as I faced a breast cancer diagnosis.
Over 40 million Americans over the age of 18 suffer from some form of anxiety disorder. However, anxiety is a universal human emotion. The Anxiety Blob provides comfort and a tangible way to express your fears. It lets you know you are not alone. On social media platforms such as Instagram, people proudly show off their Anxiety Blobs as a way to validate their experiences.
The Anxiety Blob has even made it to Beverly Hills. Our partners at Depressed Cake Shop love the Blob, too, and it has helped to raise funds for mental health charities through their platform.
The Anxiety Blob even has its own blog.
The Blob grew from my own anxiety and fear and loneliness. It was my attempt to understand and comfort myself, and then through the kindness of a friend, it became a tangible, huggable thing that lived in the world. Over the last two years, Sweatpants & Coffee has been able to offer Anxiety Blobs for sale in small batches that have always sold out faster than we anticipated and left many of our beloved tribe members wanting. Honestly, it’s caused me a LOT of anxiety, this problem of how to make our cuddly mental health mascot more widely available.
I’m so happy to tell you that after a few starts and stops and several learning experiences, we now have a reliable stock of Anxiety Blobs from a manufacturer who will be able to meet the demand. We’ll be offering them for sale beginning Friday, November 24. Some of you know this day as Black Friday. I personally know it as “avoid the mall as if it has been infested by ravenous brain-eating zombies” day. Thankfully, you won’t have to fight for parking or stand in long lines with strangers (the horror) to get your hands on one of these babies. Get your own Anxiety Blob here.
Oh, and me? I’m doing well. Still anxious, of course. But full of gratitude, hope, and determination. Here I am in my tiny office.
Love,
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