welcome to my empathy-shaped corner of the internet! 👋 I’m Dana Variano, a nonbinary artist who uses drawings and words to explore the world. I draw in pen and ink on paper, and my favorite thing (other than the ocean) is connection. So, can you tell? I’m really glad you’re here.
Join me as I ride the mental health waves, a felt tip pen as my board. 🌊
Oh…you scrolled down this far? You want more content? Hmm. Okay, I can do that.
I do that for a living, in fact. Capitalism makes me. (I’m a communications strategist for advocacy organizations) Want to see some drawings about that? Check out my blog. How we communicate and connect in an increasingly digital world is a thing I think about a lot. So I do a lot of drawing about what keeps me connected – or disconnected – and how I cope with the loneliness and isolation of this place.
In summer of 2024 I dropped my second zine, Emotional Equations. It’s a study on feelings using charts and graphs, and collects four years of my drawings. Printed by hand in Kingston, NY on Risograph, this four-color zine is something I’m really proud of.
My first zine, called The Cartography of Coping, is a collection of drawings from a three year period. Now in its second printing, the book is my take of road signs along my healing journey. It’s about pain and recovery and joy and living. Maybe you can relate? Info on that is over here.
Okay, enough words. More pictures. <3
