【2006 Archives】

Affirming a woman's feelings006 Archivesexperiences can help her get through the toughest of times.

That uncomplicated philosophy is the driving force behind Toronto-based artist Hana Shafi's work, which has found huge success on social media for its relatable, comforting messaging.

SEE ALSO: 5 black artists using their work to fight mental health stigma

Shafi -- who illustrates under the name Frizz Kid-- tackles mental health, emotional wellness and women's empowerment through simple illustrations that pack essential, powerful messages. She started creating the affirmation-based illustrations earlier this year.

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"Often when we're struggling, we feel like our story is constantly getting invalidated, stigmatized and shamed," Shafi told Mashable. "I want people to see my work and feel valid, feel safe or feel whatever they need to feel to cope with the difficulties in their life."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Her piece declaring "Healing Is Not Linear" went viral in April, garnering more than 215,000 reblogs and likes on Tumblr. Her work has also found success on Twitterand Instagram, reaching users who feel their experiences and trauma are validated and understood by Shafi's art.

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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Before her affirmations work, Shafi explored topics like feminism, mental illness and body positivity in her work, albeit in a more abstract manner. She was inspired to create her straight-forward affirmations series to support the #WeBelieveSurvivors movement, a hashtag condemnation of CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi's acquittalof sexual assault charges in March 2016.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"After I created [the #WeBelieveSurvivors affirmation-based] pieces, I started to realize the power of making affirming artwork, and how it can have such an incredibly healing impact," Shafi said. "I began making more, and it just started to become this amazing experience that was both therapeutic for me and for others."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Shafi said her positive pieces are often inspired by seemingly little moments that happen in her life or the lives of her friends. Shafi said before starting a new piece, she often finds herself asking, "What do I need to hear right now? What do they need to hear to get through this?"

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Though her work is fairly universal for those experiencing mental illness and trauma, Shafi said she especially creates her art to speak to the emotional needs of women, particularly women of color.

"It's important to me to prioritize marginalized folks in my artwork, and strive for fair and diverse representation," she said. "As a woman of color, I know what it feels like to not have accurate representation and be completely excluded from a lot of art."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Shafi says the reaction to her work has been overwhelmingly positive, feeling almost "surreal" at times.

"I really never expected any of my art to get that big," she said. "It's really such a dream."

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