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31-year-old Lainey Molnar is on a mission to empower women, and she's using her creative expression to do so. Molnar creates honest comics that cut through all of the filters and focus on women's role in society and the way it perceives them.

"I believe that the pressure on women comes from both inside our own community and outside, be it family, media, or men," the artist told Bored Panda. "It is incredibly hard to navigate all of their expectations and reach the milestones society has set out for us, like maintaining the perfect size and shape, being maternal but also ambitious, strong but also sensitive, staying youthful and fresh while gracefully accepting the aging process, looking ideal but not overdoing plastic surgery. I could go on and on and on, and we are all so tired of this."

More info: Instagram

You could say the series was a long time in the making. Molnar, who is from Hungary and works as a digital business strategist, deals with content creators and women-owned businesses to align their goals with their social media, facilitating growth. "I started my career as my country's first personal blogger and ran my blog and the fashion store attached to it for almost 8 years, wrote a guidebook for powerful women, and I also wrote for women's magazines."

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    Drawing and art in general has been Molnar's hobby for over two decades now. "After my blogging days, I stepped away from the limelight because of the habitual online harassment I received, so when [the place I live in] went into lockdown [due to the pandemic] earlier this year, I decided to create a comic-style avatar for myself and started posting drawings about her to process what I'm going through (or all of us go through) as a woman under the pressure of society and just simply... life."

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    #3

    Social-Issue-Comics-Lainey-Molnar

    It’s 2020 can we stop telling woman how to dress their own bodies already? No matter where we are on the scale from tatas out to modest - judgement, sexual assault, objectification, catcalling, accidental pregnancy, broken heart, and disrespect can happen to every single one of us. The way we dress mirror our personalities, moods, beliefs, and comfort zones, not out moral backgrounds. You do you.

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    Kate Baumann
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    @Petra Christovová, It's not that everything Islam is women-empowering, it's that normally Muslim women aren't perceived as confident, empowered women. This artist was showing people that they too can be confident and empowered. I hope I cleared things up.

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    Throughout her career, Molnar has always been a supporter of no-shame talks surrounding stigmatized topics like mental illness, adult friendships (or the lack of them), not wanting children, and failing and getting back up again. "The idea to start drawing about the vulnerability that is actually our biggest strength came naturally to me. I think us women (womxn, actually) need to stick together to break the barriers and push these topics so far that eventually, nobody would even question 'alternative' life choices that are out of our control anymore."

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    "At the end of the day, they don't hurt anyone. Going against the grain when it comes to societal standards and still being happy and content can take away the sense of control from people who align with these standards and I believe that's why they're judging, because suddenly their system isn't foolproof and that can be scary."

    Molnar said she has empathy for these people too but she strongly believes that it's time to normalize women's choices, whatever they might be.

    #6

    Social-Issue-Comics-Lainey-Molnar

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    Leo Domitrix
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wait till you hit 50. Menopausal hormones. Adolescence with wrinkles. Oh rapture.

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    #8

    Social-Issue-Comics-Lainey-Molnar

    Life choices don’t range from wrong to right based on societal expectations. The last 30 or so years the world turned upside down - the internet, social media, dating apps, remote work, digital nomads, startups, cheap air travel, EU, globalization, and the cracking of the glass ceiling raised generations of women whose priority isn’t marriage or children. We are the 30-something Lost Boys, half of our friends our age buy houses and raise families and the other half is still at school, figuring themselves out. There’s a constant pressure of missing out on something and the constant validation of freedom. It’s sometimes incredibly lonely, but the privilege of sleeping in, going out, and traveling on a whim is super rewarding. No matter how you decide to live your life, or no matter what life decides for you, give everyone else respect and compassion, because we’re all doing our best.

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    #10

    Social-Issue-Comics-Lainey-Molnar

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    VANILLA
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Where are the dogs that run around barking and making as much noise as possible? My dogs do this when my mom is on the call. I think it’s because they hear all the voices

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    #11

    Social-Issue-Comics-Lainey-Molnar

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    S.
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    SAME!! Cramps before, during, AND after, I can't ever catch a break smh

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    #12

    Social-Issue-Comics-Lainey-Molnar

    I always launghed at the “your metabolism will change with age” type of comments and now I’m unbuttoning my pants at dinner. Ps. This post has nothing to do with nutrition, diets, and workouts, I know this is a complex issue that has solutions, but that doesn’t make aging less cruel lol. But anyway, both are lovely, perfect bodies and they’re worthy of love and care!

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    Leo Domitrix
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Solutions like what, I wonder? Surgery? Never aging? Never eating? We change as we age. It's normal. Medically speaking, that is.

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    #13

    Social-Issue-Comics-Lainey-Molnar

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    Neva Nevičica
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, just like that, just not one hair but a handfull. And that's why i wash my hair separately. :D

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    #15

    Social-Issue-Comics-Lainey-Molnar

    It took me a while to learn that people who expect happiness from anything that can be taken away from them any moment are the furthest from it. Beautiful things and experiences are so easy to get used to but the problem with them is that they’re never enough, there’s always more and bigger and newer and fancier and there are always people who do better than you. If you base your value on things you own, they will end up owning you. The “perfect” life we are sold on social media is a sad one full of denial, distractions, and unresolved traumas. Appreciate nice things for what they are, just things. The truly great things in life are really fucking simple.

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    #20

    Social-Issue-Comics-Lainey-Molnar

    I always feel like a monster when I say I simply prefer adults at all times, but what can I do about it? Us women are all different, with different desires, preferences, and life goals, and for some being a mother is none of them - at the time or at all. But as we all are nurturing in one way or another, a childless woman can contribute so much to making the world better and we’re running on more sleep to do so. Love to mamas and love to kidless ladies, we all deserve to follow our hearts without judgement!

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    Okokok!
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The world is still changing, not everybody would be OK with the single, childless, independent woman - mostly by projecting old fashioned life standards on their environment; "how dare you are alone, free-spirited, and on top even happy with your life!? This cannot be true, you cannot be satisfied with such a life..." Overheard such things many, many times (mostly women bitching women). On the other hand childless people (don't make a difference tween men and women) are putting themselves into the position of criticizing (most often) single moms when they are experiencing a child mid-breakdown. That breaks my heart, too, as nobody really knows what kind of situation this mom (or dad) has to actually overcome atm. It's not only a crying / screaming child... there is always more beneath the surface... Just make your view on life a bit more permissive would make this place a better one for sure.

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    #21

    Social-Issue-Comics-Lainey-Molnar

    'CAN WE TALK ABOUT BUTT SWEAT?? I can’t sit pretty in this heatwave without leaving a puddle wherever I go. I think my worst performance was a job interview about 10 years ago when I promptly jumped up to shake hands and left two dripping thigh marks on the leather chair, then made eye contact with the interviewer after he saw it. He was horrified. I didn’t get the job
    Anyway, it is what it is. Ladies in shorts and skirts, please tell me I’m not alone!'

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    #22

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    Daria Z
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wish there were 60s again; I love the style and it's perfect for my Twiggy-esque frame...

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    #26

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    Kathryn Baylis
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Live and let live. You wanna do push-ups? Knock yourself out, sweetie. Just don’t try to push the rest of us to do them too. If we want to, we will. If not, we’ll tell you you’re doing great and leave it at that.

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    #28

    Social-Issue-Comics-Lainey-Molnar

    'Every single time!! I hug guys with my head bent back like an exorcism patient and still get stains on their shirts, so I started yelling “No no I don’t want to get makeup on you” when hugs are initiated. They usually say “I don’t care” but I feel mortified. Anyone else?'

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    #29

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    Kelz
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's a backwards tan......and the sad thing is, is that some women do this on the daily and THINKS it looks good.

    memeaubdoctor
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    F*ck you. it looks awesome! Did you not understand a single message this entire thing was showing that It doesn't matter what your body looks like you were perfect the way you are. If you didn't then you are a f*cking idiot!

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    Sarcastic Panda
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i don't bother if I'm not going out. or if I am going out. most i wear is a tiny bit of mascara

    BeenElle
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Can someone explain what’s supposed to be happening here? Was she putting makeup all over her chest?

    Kathryn Baylis
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    By about day 60, she’ll be all one color again. Just not tanned. And there’s not one damn thing wrong with that.

    Blinding_Darkness
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't bother with makeup really. When I do, it's not to impress, more to feel good about myself

    Brent Kaufman
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You don't feel good about yourself with your natural looks? Fake looks make you feel better about yourself. What about changing your looks makes you feel good about yourself? Where is the "yourself" in this equation?

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    Coco
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Gosh, try practicing some expressions in your drawings.

    Ava Musselman
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED? she is a fantastic artist, she's probably a better artist than you if you ask me

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