In recent weeks my simple drawings and messages, one in particular (where Rabbit is afraid), has gone viral. It’s been shared hundreds of thousands of times around the world, with two Facebook Page admins telling me that it has been their highest drawing post, achieving over 1.5 million interactions. My social media following across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter grows by the day. I have 1900+ Likes and over 2000+ followers and growing on Facebook. Approaching 500 followers on one Instagram account and approaching 800 on the other. My Twitter account has around 130. Just a few short weeks ago, I had hardly any followers at all. I even had to consult a lawyer due to the increase of attention and sharing of my work in order to further protect it. I receive requests daily, sometimes multiple times a day, for a book, prints and other merchandise. Beautiful messages, many that make me cry, arrive in my messages telling me how Rabbit and Bear are helping people everywhere cope with the world right now.
I have been lauded by “Women You Should Know” on Facebook and Instagram; asked to produce drawing tutorials for the American Childhood Cancer Organization (the first is currently being shared on social media and other means via the ACCO); I was interviewed by a newspaper columnist in Honduras and I’ve been written about in a newspaper in Singapore; I am coordinating with the Secondary School Board and Library System of Akron, Ohio to help teach and encourage high school students via Google Meet presentations; and Wintertickle Press out of Barrie, Ontario has selected me to be part of an anthology titled, Not Cancelled: Canadian Caremongering in the Face of COVID-19. It is currently accepting pre-orders via Chapters/Indigo.
My drawings and writing have been likened to that of Charlie Mackesy, author/illustrator of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Rabbit and The Velveteen Rabbit.
It’s all so amazing to me and I’m beyond grateful. A year ago I began drawing and writing for Rabbit and a few friends, like Bear. It was a way for me to process my own journey with loss, anxiety, depression and grief. From 2009 to 2013 I miscarried, my marriage ended, my father passed, my mother was re-diagnosed with cancer, I was diagnosed with cancer, I was terminated from my job while on medical leave and my mother passed.
It was a very difficult time and it took me awhile to come to terms with it all. Drawing and writing my little Rabbit helped me.
I shared my creations with my friends and family and life carried on. I even tried to publish a book a year ago but it wasn’t Rabbits time. So, I kept going, reworking Rabbit into a new story, a novel that currently sits waiting review from a publisher.
Then, this past new year, my anxiety and fear over COVID-19 began to build. I went back to my old drawings of Rabbit and friends, looking for comfort. I shared some of them again thinking others might find comfort too. My friends and family liked them and I worked on creating some new ones.
Then one night I decided to check Facebook once more before going to sleep… that’s when I noticed that it wasn’t just myself and my friends and family liking and sharing my Rabbit and Bear anymore.
Rabbits time had arrived.
I’m excited to see what comes next.
❤🐇🐻
Text and images ©Tara Shannon, 2019 & 2020.
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