Comics on the internet are a powerful way to connect with others. For the creator of the comic, it’s an opportunity to express themselves. For the readers of it, the drawings can make them feel seen. Illustrator Lainey Molnar is doing just this with her empowering images that revolve around women and their experiences in the world. Created as single-panel drawings on Instagram, they reflect issues that women face in society every day—from things as serious as body image issues to more lighthearted ones, like how some folks actually like to spend fall.
Like many people, the COVID-19 pandemic spurred Molnar to start making. “I started drawing these comics during the spring 2020 lockdown just for myself to process my experience as a woman in this world, hence why the main character in my comics is always me,” Molnar tells My Modern Met. “Most of what I draw about are very personal experiences or based on deep conversations I have with friends or family. I’ve always been considered a ‘black sheep’ and I’ve always felt like I constantly have to justify personal life decisions that made sense to me and hurt nobody else, so it felt extremely liberating to show a different point of view.”
A few months into drawing, Molnar’s work began to go viral; it turned out that hundreds of thousands of women felt the same way she does, and she’s been able to parlay her hobby into a full-time job. “I’m trying to mix lighthearted fun with very serious topics like mental health or women’s rights and also keep my lifelong passion—fashion—in the spotlight by carefully dressing the characters,” she says.
Inclusivity is important to her, too. “Diversity is also always a focal point because I want to know that everyone who looks at my comics feels represented, not only the women who see themselves in my own character,” Molnar explains. “There are so many things around being a woman in this society that need improvement, but this sad fact gives me a never-ending arsenal of topics to process through my art, hopefully making the world a better place just a little bit by making womxn feel like they’re not alone, and change is possible.”
Scroll down for a taste of Molnar’s comics, and then be sure to follow her massively popular Instagram to see what she’s drawing next.
Illustrator Lainey Molnar creates relatable comics that reflect issues that women face in society every day.
Lainey Molnar: Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Lainey Molnar.
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