35 Comics By Clare Kayden Hines That Perfectly Capture What Being An Adult Is Like
Anyone who has ever had to make a dinner reservation or a doctor’s appointment by themselves will tell you that being a responsible adult can be incredibly anxiety-inducing. And to illustrate what adulting is all about, writer and illustrator Clare Kayden Hines started creating funny comics that most of our readers will find relatable.
Back in 2017, Clare quit her job at Apple to pursue a career in creating art and hasn’t looked back since. In an interview with Bored Panda, the artist said she felt starved for a creative outlet. “I dreamt up my illustrated alter ego, Kayden Hines, who reflected the tension between everything I was ‘supposed’ to do and everything I actually wanted to do. I started drawing Kayden as a way to express myself at a time I felt very stuck,” said Clare. “Once I quit my job and started my creative career, my life feels much more aligned with who I am. Now, my alter ego feels less like an alter ego… Kayden just feels like me now!”
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#1
Image source: kaydenhines
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The artist says that a lot of her inspiration comes from observations or the funny things that happen in her own life. “My illustrations are my way of finding humor in all types of situations, from the mundane (not wanting to talk on the phone) to the existential (feeling dead inside at my job), and making them universal and relatable,” says Clare.
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Clare says she’s still surprised when people relate to the things she posts. “I often feel very alone in my own head, so getting my thoughts out into the world and seeing people say they feel the same way is always a surprise (and a delight)! When people tell me that my comics make them feel less alone, I want to tell them that creating and posting them makes ME feel less alone, too!” says the artist. “I have no idea whether something I’m feeling or thinking is weird or unusual, so when I draw about my experiences and hear people say they feel the same way, I feel so more connected to the world.”
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Image source: kaydenhines
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Clare admits to experimenting with many different comic styles over the years. She even took online drawing classes and tried changing things around to find something that sticks. “Some of the changes I love, some I end up hating, but I’ll never know until I try,” says the artist. “I love learning new skills (otherwise I’ll get bored), but it probably means my style is not as consistent as it could be because I keep experimenting.”
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The artist says that the current global pandemic made finding humor hard but coming up with something to laugh about helped her deal with fear and anxiety. “At first, I couldn’t create anything. I felt paralyzed and overwhelmed. But then I realized how much seeing other people’s creativity helped me get through the day,” says Clare. “It added some normalcy during a chaotic and scary time. It inspired me to want to keep creating and sharing my experiences, in case it helped other people get through the day in some small way too.”
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Got wisdom to pour?