Those who have tried dating out know that it's not an easy task. Constantly being on the lookout for 'the one,' your friends setting you up with random people and, of course, the all-powerful dating apps. They are something else. If you want to start using them, you have to be prepared to get ghosted, stood up and just disappointed... a lot.
That's what artist Lauren D. illustrates in her funny, relatable, and cute comics: her misadventures of dating, and the tragedy that is trying to find true love. The artist, however, adds another angle to her art because she is gay. If you thought being straight and dating is hard, wait till you see what Lauren goes through in her day-to-day dating life.
The artist shared with us the main goal behind her illustrations: "I enjoy sharing stories with people and seeing their reactions, I hope they also find it entertaining. Originally I envisioned the story 'I’ve Met Someone' as a novel, but I like drawing as much as I like writing so I decided to make a hybrid novel with comic-like illustrations. The illustrations help tell the story a bit better compared to what I originally had planned."
Lauren shared how she got into art: "I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I would go to bookstores often and that's where I discovered 'how to draw' books. I begged my parents to buy them for me every time I could and with each one, I learned something new about the fundamentals of drawing. From there my interest in creating art began to grow. In college, I took many art courses and I found my own style eventually. I haven’t stopped learning or practicing ever since then."
Lauren tells us what topics she covers and describes her style: "Some major topics in this comic include online dating, coming out, the ups and downs of new relationships, high school drama, and then college experiences. My style is very cartoony. Some of my biggest inspirations come from Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon cartoon styles from the '90s."
"The story officially started in March 2019, it’s currently ongoing and I have several seasons planned for the future. I hope my stories help people smile or get through similar situations I’ve faced. Growing up, I wish I had similar stories to relate to, so that's why I create these."
The artist shared the difficulties she runs into while creating these illustrations: "Usually falling into a creative drought is when things become hard. It’s hard to find direction when creativity is not there. To overcome this, I try my best to find new inspirations by getting out and experiencing things that help fuel creativity. Sometimes taking breaks helps also."
Here's some advice from Lauren for those thinking of creating art themselves: "Start doing it, no matter what level you are at. The more you do, the better you get because, like with anything, practice and passion will help you achieve progress."
And here's some advice for those who just started dating: "Some dating advice I would offer is to always listen to your gut instincts. If something feels off, it probably is, don’t ignore red flags. Sometimes when you’re new to dating, you may make compromises, but it is better to be safe than sorry."
"These days dating has moved primarily to online spaces more than ever, which makes it harder to connect with people on a real level. While you can get to know someone online, there is a social layer of communication that is missing. However, the upside of online dating is that you can meet people you would never have the opportunity to meet in real life because of various factors such as distance and chance."
"I remember going to a get-together at a friend's house and spotting a person who seemed very familiar there. I couldn’t quite place where I had seen them before, though. Eventually, I started up a conversation with this person and we got along pretty well, exchanged numbers and everything. Later on, while browsing a dating app, I realized I had matched with that same person about a week earlier, but neither one of us ever sent the first message. Pretty awkward! I sent them a text a little while after and brought this up. We both laughed about how awful and awkward dating apps can be compared to connecting in person. It's funny how much more comfortable I felt talking to someone I had met in person vs a random face in a sea of other faces."
Image credits: arts_by_lauren
Lauren tells us more about herself: "I've always felt art and writing is the best way I could express myself. In most social situations, I may come across as shy and introverted, I’m quite the opposite on the inside. There’s usually a warm-up process that must occur before the real traits of my personality come out. I think many artists are much like this and I love finding new stories/artworks that explore this form of expression as well."