Natural Dolls Go Viral

"Tree Change Dolls" is a project that Sonja Singh (the creator) didn't think would get so much attention and become viral. Sonja is a scientist from Hobart, Australia. Due to having a job that became redundant, she took up a craft that she found enjoyable. The art involves taking the makeup off of second hand dolls and re painting natural faces on them. It has an amazing affect, and makes the dolls look a lot more inviting and less fake.

Sonja was encouraged by her family to put photos of the dolls onto the internet, thinking that some people might like the transformations of the dolls. She posted some photos onto her Facebook profile that connected with just 200 friends. As time went by, the photos made it to Reddit and a lot more people were able to see this amazing hobby that Sonja had. Because of the popularity, she was able to start her own Etsy page (where she could sell the dolls) and also create her own independent website.

"When you google 'What happens when you go viral?', it's all about HOW to go viral. There's nothing on what to do if it happens by accident." - John, Sonjas partner, (SBS2)

If Sonja had never shared these dolls with the world via the internet, she would not now have a career in creating and selling these popular dolls. SBS2 featured this story on their show 'The Feed'. SBS2 then uploaded the full story to YouTube on the 19th of Feburary, 2015. Today, less than 2 months later, the video has 3.37 million views!

With the help of social media, Sonja has been able to turn a hobby into a job that she loves!