Birgitte M. R. Johnsen Illustration & Design

Positivity kitties

I wanted to create a set of illustrations that can show others how much you care about them. However, I also believe these are things we should tell ourselves, as it’s often easier to say them to others, but we don’t realise we need to hear them too.

The cute little kitties are based on my own cats, who sadly never met as we had them at different times. The colour palettes inspired me to paint them both, but only one of them truly allowed me to capture both of them together. Speaking of colour palettes, these eight illustrations were created using only four different colour palettes, and were made during my annual limited colour palette challenge, Huely. The aim of the challenge is to create illustrations or designs using a maximum of five colours, plus black and white. Though, things such as smudge tools, transparencies and blending modes can also be used to create additional colour variations. The challenge is named after the month it takes place, July, and “hue” another word for colour, which is pronounced “hue lye”, as the two words are mashed together.

Media: Digital illustration and layout.
A very happy cat with stars in its eyes sits on the ground with lots of little sparkles and hearts floating around it. The text over the cat reads; You can do the thing! I believe in you!!

Working on bigger projects can be a bit daunting, but believing in ourselves can help us find the motivation needed to get started and keep going.

The original image had the text “Kitty believes in you”, but I figured “I believe in you” would work better. If the illustrations were made into a product of some kind, it would also mean that whoever gave you the item believe in you, which is a really important message.

A content cat lying on the floor and chewing at it's toy that's shaped as a fish. The text at the top of the image reads; Celebrate all your wins! Give yourself a treat.

We are great at celebrating big wins and recognise our hard work, but we should do the same with smaller wins, be it smaller achievements or part goals. These smaller goals often help us chip away at bigger goals, and sometimes the small things can be as difficult to do as the big ones. This doesn’t mean you’ll need to have big parties or anything, but at least recognise the work you’ve completed. The treat could be something small like a little break or an extra scoop of ice cream.

A happy orange tabby with white markings sits proud, and looks up at you, with lots of little hears float around. The text reads; You matter a lot to me! I'm so glad you're here!

I’m not the best at telling people how much they matter to me, and I have a feeling that I’m not alone in this. That’s why I created this image, as it’s both an image to share with loved ones to let them know how much you care, and that you’re glad they’re there, but also a reminder to do so.

If you read this: Make sure you let your loved ones know how much you love and appreciate them, and that they matter to you.

A happy orange tabby with a white muzzle looks at you with affection. The background of the image is dark, as a night sky, with stars painted in light orange, orange and blue. The text over the cat reads; Remember you are amazing! Believe in yourself!!

Believing in ourselves is really difficult, but when we do it’s really rewarding. Often we rely on the praise of others to know that we’re doing well, something social media platforms take full advantage of. For artists this means we often create work that others will like, or what is currently popular, rather than explore the topics and styles that makes the artist happy.

A happy grey tabby with white markings sits on a broken cardboard box. The text reads; Break the box!! You don't have to fit in the box someone else put you in!

This image goes hand in hand with the previous image; a reminder to believe in yourself, as we get caught up in doing what others want us to do, rather than what we want to do. In certain cases we need to follow what others do, be it for work or following ethical and social norms. However, it’s also important to do what’s important to us, express ourselves, and not be confined by the label someone else have given us.

A happy, and slightly chubby, grey tabby with white marking jumps around after a pink butterfly that's flying close to the ground. The text at the top of the image reads; Take a break and have some fun! Life shouldn't be serious all the time.

Taking a break sounds like an easy thing to do. However, when we step away from what we’ve been working on, we’re often still thinking about what we were working on, trying to come up with solutions or figure out the next steps. That isn’t taking a break, it’s actually continuing to do the work. Make sure to step away from what you’re doing, and do something that will help you disconnect completely.

An orange tabby cat with white markings lying in a big clear container, with its fur being smushed up against the sides. The text over the cat reads; You are worthy of taking up space. Don't make yourself smaller!

This might seem like it’s in opposition of the “Break the box” kitty, but the two share a similar message. This image is all about not making yourself smaller for the sake of others or to fit in. At times the space available for us is too small and too narrow, but it is often possible to make room, and create a space that’s big enough for us and our aspirations.

An orange tabby cat with white marking leans its head on a grey tabby cat with white markings. Both have their eyes shut and big smiles on their faces. Around them are lots of little hearts in different colours which are emanating from them, to show their love for each other. The text in the image reads; Love yourself like you love your friends! Be kinder to yourself!!

We are often our own worst critics, and nitpick at everything we do and even how we look. However, we would never dare to treat our friends in the same way. Therefore, we should try to see ourselves as we see our friends: Someone we should protect, be proud of and be kind to. We really have treat ourselves like we would treat our loved ones.