Ani Castillo Cute Drawings Celebrate Life And Being Alive

We are in the first week of January, and we know it can be hard. The holidays are over, it is still dark and cold outside, and social pressure to do better and be better (in society’s eyes at least because, let us be honest, we are tired of the whole fatphobic narrative on losing weight) can feel overwhelming.

So, today, we have decided to present a project to help you navigate through life. Because you deserve it and because doing it alone is sometimes difficult. Let us introduce Ani Castillo, the Mexican born artist who is celebrating life.

Her style is rather simple and a little bit naive; she draws characters in black and white, sometimes with a touch of color, and she adds handwritten text. Kind of a comic, but the text is not contained in a speech bubble.

And, very importantly, her texts are infinitely sweet and understanding, addressing common issues such as love, loss, feeling blue or lonely. Her work makes you feel seen and understood, because it is both relatable and supportive.

In addition to her little strips and prints, she has also produced two books, ‘Spark’ and ‘Ping’. ‘Spark’ follows an adorable character from their birth, illustrating their journey through life, with its ups and downs. Ultimately, it is a story about the beauty of human life. A book we would definitely recommend if you need something sweet and positive for the beginning of the year.

And what to say about ‘Ping’? The book explores what it means to connect with others. Or, as Ani puts it, ‘My friend, in this life we can only ping. The pong belongs to the other’. A comforting book on human relations that you can read to children and adults alike.

So, if you are feeling blue and looking for a little hope, or just want to discover a new artist, go check out her work. She does important informative work on her Instagram account as well, like her post on ‘8 excellent reasons not to be racist’, that you can read down below.