Tuesday, August 15, 2022, Google announced the Google Doodle Competition winner. It is now being showcased live in Google’s homepage on August 16.
Sophie Araque-Liu of Florida was announced the grand prize winner by the five judges, including Selena Gomez. Her work entitled “Not Alone” clearly describes how she cares for herself.
“I care for myself by accepting others’ care for me. Often, I struggle to shoulder a burden on my own and forget that I have so many people. Like my mom, who care about me and want to help me. Opening up and letting others support me not only relieves my stress. It also lets me tackle things I could never do on my own.”
Sophie’s Description on “Not Alone”
“It’s a profound fact that we often care for others before we care for ourselves,” Araque-Liu told Business Insider. “This Google Doodle, titled Not Alone, is a representation of that.”
She added that “in the competition, we had to submit our work with the theme, ‘I care for myself by …’ In my submission, I incorporated three activities that allowed me to care for myself while being vulnerable, giving it meaning.”
The Doodle’s three sections, inspired by three activities that had positive impacts on the mind, body, and spirit. Araque-Liu said she thinks of them as a process, starting with a freshly-made cup of coffee, followed by a yoga pose, and ending with a minute of silence and a heart-opening exercise.
“The process, inspired by the three activities, is a cycle that is in my opinion, allows the individual to fully self-care, ultimately reaching a
“I chose to do my Doodle about self-care because I think it is important to take the time for them. However, they see fit,” Araque-Liu told Google.
The words “I care for myself by…”, meant to be an open-ended prompt for educators, students, and family members to use in the classroom, at home, and beyond. To help, Google solicited submissions from all over the world.
Araque-Liu’s Doodle shows a girl in a wheelchair taking some time for herself. The Doodle is in the shape of a heart, with the words around it, and Araque-Liu used the colors blue and pink to show the girl’s connection to her friends and family.
“I made it pink because I think it’s important to remember that self-care is for everyone, and no one should feel left out of the conversation,” she said.
