Bored Panda reached out to Ainars, the artist behind the "Daily purrr", an Instagram account that celebrates the quirky nature of cats through daily doodles.
The interview opened with a discussion of the artist's inspiration for "dailypurrr." They stated, "My inspiration for @dailypurrr sprang up rather spontaneously... Cats, in their quirky, mysterious ways, always intrigued me. That's how @dailypurrr was born! I started posting the doodles online after my friends and family encouraged me to share the image stash I already had."
When asked about the sudden increase in followers that they mentioned in their own post on Bored Panda a couple of years ago, Ainars expressed their initial disbelief followed by immense joy. "There is a saying that goes something along the lines of: 'With great visibility comes great responsibility...' That incident helped me understand the power of social media, and it became a catalyst for me to become more dedicated, not just to my art, but also towards cultivating a positive, engaging online community."
They also discussed the challenges faced during their journey, such as balancing creativity with the need for consistency. The artist said, "One major hurdle was the self-imposed pressure of producing a doodle every day... But I learned to embrace those tough days, giving myself the grace to be less than perfect, reminding myself of the joy it brings me and hopefully, to others. I do not plan to stop anytime soon as I'm already on my 1912th illustration!"
Bored Panda's feature about their work quite a while ago was an unexpected opportunity, for the artist, as they shared how it affected them, "It felt incredibly validating to be recognized by such a popular platform... It was a true game-changer for me," said Ainars.
Lastly, Ainars highlighted the core purpose of their doodles and their future plans. They said, "With every doodle I make, I hope to spread a bit of joy and levity... I plan to continue creating my daily doodles. I'm also exploring the possibility of collaborating with cat shelters or organizations to use my art as a means to support feline welfare.The journey of @dailypurrr has been as unexpected as a cat's leap, but I wouldn't have it any other way!"
