A therapeutic comic strip about me as a cat!
Me being the kooky cat that I am, I have started illustrating a weekly comic strip to help channel my innermost feelings alongside my monthly therapy sessions. Kook is the projection of my attempt to understand who I am as a person in life, love and with my mental health.
Early sketches and character development
Welcome Kook the Cat
Kook is me in cartoon cat form. In general, I am a bit feline when it comes to life, love and relationships. This has been evident to me the past year really and certainly in the last few months since a recent relationship break up. Cats, in my observations, give affection when they feel like it and are self sufficient it seems for the most part. They’re like lone wolves, but cats… obviously. I attribute some of these characteristics to myself too. Maybe not too much of a lone wolf as I value friends and family, they are important, though I do try and deal with things on my own (successfully and unsuccessfully). When it comes to affection, I can be a little sparse with hugs and generally never really tick any of the standard 5 love languages. In all honesty I’m not sure I fit in any of the love language categories. But, I am who I am, I like who I am and that’s that.
Why, Pete, why?
My therapist thought that drawing might help me further beyond our sessions and I do find illustrating a therapeutic act anyway. I just thought I’d take it one step further and convey things about me in a humorous and funny way instead with a comic strip. I have always been in love with the Peanuts comics, featuring Charlie Brown & Snoopy the Dog. Peanuts is funny, but also brutally honest when it comes to human emotions, feelings, love and how the characters try to make sense of the world. There’s a simplistic innocence to the stories and I guess I’m trying to do this too with my own little strip.
The first Kook Comic!
Don’t dim your light
I have in the past been called “cold” for not regularly giving affection… rude, right!? In essence, I’m just different from some of the more “normal” folk out there in the world. I’m not sure everyone would create a cat character and explore their feelings through a comic strip would they? I know I’m kooky, I always have been I think and never felt like I have fitted in, even when I’m with people. I guess with age I’m getting a little more comfortable with myself and so instead of shying away from my kookiness I’m embracing it to better understand myself. I’m sure some of you are better at it than others. In any case, I’m getting better at it. It’s a journey anyway as we all evolve. Somedays you think you’re one person and then something happens to you that changes who you are. I do feel that we should evolve and grow as people but not change as such. By that I mean not forget who you are at your core. Evolve from that central spot and not dim your light. Maybe adjust accordingly if you’re making people feel uncomfortable but don’t completely change who you are. Start a comic, write a song or a poem… whatever works to embrace you.
Thanks for reading. Pete :)
