“Despite all the challenges, it looks like humanity understood how deeply we depend on each other and how much our mental health is central to everyone's recovery and well-being,” Mauro told us. “Sharing good news is a joyful experience for all and also an important part of daily conversations.”

Despite the fact that the news can be depressing to read and watch, Mauro still believes it has a very important function—reporting important problems and issues. When they get the spotlight shone on them, we can all come together and prevent these problems from happening again.

“But there is also so much good in this world that just needs to be found and promoted. Never forget that the reason why we have positive news to share is that some amazing and brave individuals did something to solve an issue that worries us all. So, one at a time, we can all make a positive impact. It's our time to BE the positive news,” Mauro said. 

The illustrator revealed that the things that helped him get through the global pandemic and maintain his sanity were working on The Happy Broadcast, interacting with his community every single day, and… baking bread and pizza. Now, I couldn’t just ignore Mauro mentioning pizza. I just had to find out all about it. After all, there’s nothing like a tasty homemade treat (and some sleep) to make the world seem brighter.

“One of my favorite pizzas, besides the classic Italian Margherita, is pizza Bianca (which means no cheese and no sauce) topped, after being baked, with a cold mix of vegan feta, arugula, olive oil, salt, and fresh thyme. It’s very fresh and different from the usual pizza we eat at a restaurant, but I’m a creative person, so cooking is another avenue to express that,” Mauro said and now I’m itching to try baking something similar at home.

The illustrator also went into detail about the daily routine that helps him stay on top of things. Every morning, he decides what to focus on and work toward that day. “Having a sense of purpose makes me feel less lost. I also try to not spend too much time on my phone scrolling through hundreds of posts and I turn my phone off before I go to bed.” And when he’s feeling blue, he puts on some songs that make him play the air-guitar and the air-drums, like ‘Gloria’ by ‘The Lumineers.’

Mauro’s illustrations are simple, fresh, and fun. He told us that this kind of art style comes naturally to him. “I've always loved doodling... especially things with cute faces because it's so relaxing, creative, and fun! I like the message more than the style, so I don’t spend a lot of time on an illustration. Most of my time is spent sketching all the ideas that float in my brain,” he said.

The illustrator stressed that his advice to young artists would be to focus on what they like to draw, instead of chasing after what’s trendy.

We’re hoping that the following year will turn out to be very different from 2020. Mauro has similar hopes for 2021.

“My hope is that Covid-19 will not turn into Covid-21. We are now armed with knowledge, understanding, and hard lessons learned from this past year and I’m sure we’ll all come together to make sure 2021 will be less challenging and more focused on taking care of our planet and mental health,” he said.

As for his own plans, the artist told Bored Panda that his biggest personal project is still The Happy Broadcast. “I can’t even describe how much this little beacon of positivity means to me. Reading, illustrating, and sharing the work of the fixers, doers, and problem-solvers of the world showed me that the world is not the frightening place portrayed in the media.” And as someone who spends his days writing about the wholesome things in life, I can fully support Mauro’s message.

If you want to support Mauro and The Happy Broadcast, consider following him on Instagram and checking out his book as well!