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When enough people adhere to the same standard, that standard transforms into a societal expectation that is mutually and openly agreed upon without the need for law. Men shouldn't show emotion, and women should wear makeup, are two standards that are prevalent enough to be found everywhere.

But each of us is unique. These "expectations" do not accurately describe the majority of people. Therefore, artist Lainey Molnar explores these topics in particular as she creates comics that most people, especially women, can relate to.

With that being said, Lainey's work has been featured on Bored Panda previously, and if you'd like to see the previous parts to this series, then make sure to click here, here, and here.

More info: Instagram

#1

Artist Draws The Pressures Women Struggle With In A Society (28 New Pics)

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This time around, Bored Panda reached out to Lainey with some new questions regarding her upcoming works.

"As of late, I started posting short videos around the topics of being a woman, relationships, little wisdom, and self-healing besides the regular illustrations and I'm enjoying them tremendously. Instagram infamously changed their algorithm to favor videos, slashing so many creators' engagement and forcing them to do videos they're not necessarily comfortable with, but I feel like I can get even deeper this way to support women all over the world."

#3

Artist Draws The Pressures Women Struggle With In A Society (28 New Pics)

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Isabella
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

PMS is a fact and to be honest, I am much mooore emotional before and while on my period.

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We also wanted to know if the artist had a comic she was proud of, and we thought it was only fair if she'd share her thoughts with us!

"My absolute favorite is one of my earliest illustrations that I recently re-drew. I know that so many of us women are criticized or shunned by society by not hitting the "right" milestones, not hitting them at the right time, or having entirely different plans than what is expected. My goal is to lift the weight of societal stigma from every woman's shoulder, because personal life decisions that don't hurt anyone are not right or wrong, they're simply... personal. I am 33, single, I don't plan on having children, and I'm traveling the world instead of settling down. I don't have a college degree, I can't drive a car, I don't own an apartment, and I don't feel like a black sheep, I just feel like myself. As everyone should."

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#4

Artist Draws The Pressures Women Struggle With In A Society (28 New Pics)

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dar Rah
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a father, I hate it when people refer to me caring for my daughter as 'babysitting', it's parenting. Honestly though I've never met a father who called it babysitting himself, its mostly other people who do that.

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#5

Artist Draws The Pressures Women Struggle With In A Society (28 New Pics)

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Francis
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i like how subtle the change in their faces are, yet you see them :) great art style

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Artists go through a few art phases trying to find the art style they could call their own, and for Lainey, it is likely the same, given that the artist is currently thinking about pursuing her ultimate dream.

"Before digital art, I used to draw with markers which I really miss, but I don't have time for it anymore, but my ultimate dream is to paint on designer handbags. My background is in fashion and my hobby is refurbishing (vintage) designer accessories in the name of sustainability and value, so creating artworks on pieces I already consider artworks would marry all of my passions and talents."

#7

Artist Draws The Pressures Women Struggle With In A Society (28 New Pics)

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Kia
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Louder for those in the back! Edit: I really hate how every time Lainey's comics get posted one BP and there is a woman with a hijab on the comments are mostly hate and how she's oppressed. Like you're missing the whole point.

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Starting out with comics (or art in general) isn't easy, so we asked the artist if she had any tips to share for those who might be starting out.

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"This is an advice to everyone creating any kind of art: Do not put too much weight on how you are doing on social media. Having followers or likes doesn't validate how valuable your art is, it's simply a tool to echo your voice. The art and the message should come from your heart and it should be something you would create the same way just for yourself if you lived in a hut up in the mountains for a year with no internet. I started off creating these comics just for myself, to process my experience as a woman in the world and I didn't intend to have an audience or have it as a full-time job. Until this day I refuse to draw anything that doesn't come from the heart."

#8

Artist Draws The Pressures Women Struggle With In A Society (28 New Pics)

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dar Rah
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hm. Growing up, that assigned role of Provider was a heavy burden on me, and it led to me choosing a field of study less aligned to my interests but more profitable. It was a bad choice. Never met somebody who had his heart set that much on the provider role.

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When it comes to people having overall opinions on her comics, here's what the artist thinks, "My biggest goal is for all women to feel seen, heard, and feel like they are not alone. To give them a new perspective about things the system, the patriarchy, life, and society taught them are the norm. To give them tools to heal themselves from past traumas and stuck patterns. I know this might sound incredibly ambitious, but I'm set on changing the world."

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Most artists usually create art in order to accomplish something, therefore we were wondering if Lainey perhaps felt the same in some type of way.

"I truly hope that I can establish a community where like-minded women uplift one another. I am fascinated by how it's happening in the comment section under each one of my posts, they get vulnerable, share their personal stories, like and support one another. I believe there is a huge need for a safe space online for women where there is no judgment and they can share, express, bond, and grow. So I'm planning on building all that in the future - starting with my Instagram page."

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Molnar has been in the comic scene for quite some time now so we were curious whether she had any comments from her followers that might've particularly stood out.

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"One time I received a message from a follower that she has shown my illustrations to her young brother and they started having discussions about what girls and women are going through. She told me that her brother was only familiar with the male narrative and ended up opening his mind to so much on the 'other' side and even sharing the illustrations with his friends. This is the kind of ripple effect I aim for with everything I do. I just start the conversation, but how it's interpreted or how it unfolds is fascinating."

#14

Artist Draws The Pressures Women Struggle With In A Society (28 New Pics)

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CatsGotFoodYeahYeah
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lmao as a black woman, I didn't get called beautiful until I made myself look less black. People literally went out of their way to make sure they thought I was ugly and would never date me, despite having no interest them. Just because I was nice to them, they were scared I was interested in them or they'd become bullied for it. Because I'm brown I can make myself 'look' like different POC depending on especially my hair and the way I introduce myself as. Despite having the same features, I'm seen as far more attractive when people think im asian/latina/native American (I'm pretty ambiguous when not wearing black hairstyles because of mixed ancestry). I'm also seen as more intelligent and people approach me less aggressively. I mean, the girl in the pic IS beautiful, but not the best example for this picture, because the racism is just as real as what is being portrayed here: ageism and sexism. Luckily its getting better with more representation!

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Lastly, we wanted to know what kind of hobbies Lainey has aside from making comics, and here's what she shared with us, "Besides doing art and refurbishing accessories and trying to read all the books in the world while traveling to every corner of the globe, I love to do puzzles. It's becoming a problem because I buy and do them in such a rate that they have taken over my apartment. Maybe I should consider making puzzles with my illustrations, that would be a fitting project!"

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#18

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Firstname Lastname
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't care who wears a bikini, as long as it is a well fitting bikini where you aren't sausaging your body into two slivers of fabric that are struggling to uphold your public decency.

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#19

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Kia
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you don't want to shave don't. If you do then go for it. Its your body.

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#21

Artist Draws The Pressures Women Struggle With In A Society (28 New Pics)

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Juniper_the_frog_
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, you are still the same person and people don’t get to treat you differently because of how you look

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#23

Artist Draws The Pressures Women Struggle With In A Society (28 New Pics)

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Tiff Jade Thompson
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i need help... this i've been going through all year and still don't know what to do... stay with who I need or go and be with who I want/what I deserve

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