![A four panel comic about self-love. In the first panel, the narration reads, 'to be honest, despite my best efforts, the knowledge that loving myself is something I have to actively work at every day for the rest of my life makes me feel so tired. Bex is carrying an overflowing a basket of laundry. She says, 'I don't want to do this, but the giant pile of laundry is literally ruining my life.'
In the second panel, the narration reads, 'Wallowing in my flaws is easier and it's tempting to believe that self-deprecation is the same as self-awareness, and therefore somehow helpful and valid.' Bex approaches the washing machine. She says aloud, 'lmao struggling with something as basic as laundry is pathetic. lol I'm a widdle baby.'
In the third panel, the narration reads, 'It's a toxic thought-pattern that is difficult to break out of, but the best antidote I've found is the pageantry of excessive self-love. Bex shoves the dirty clothes into the washing machine. Triumphantly, she yells, 'I'm not a widdle baby! I'm a literal goddess! I'm an icon! I'm a badass, self-sufficient laundry queen!'
In the final panel, Bex has finished her laundry. As the washing machine whurrs loudly, the narration reads, 'even if I don't always believe the nice things I tell myself, I believe them slightly more than I used to.' Smiling, she simply says, 'OK, I did my laundry. Nice.'](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/862ad6ae-e16f-4386-ad7e-ff7a5cd73db9_Pageantry+of+Self-Love.png?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
Pageantry of self-love. © Bex Ollerton for Wellcome Collection.
About the artist
Bex Ollerton
Bex Ollerton is a full-time comic artist from Lancashire. She is known for her introspective comics about mental health, neurodivergence and the general struggles of being a human being in an overwhelming world. As a physically disabled autistic artist with ADHD, she cares greatly about raising awareness through graphic medicine, and her goal is to use comics to discuss things that can be hard to talk about. When she’s not drawing or making comics, she enjoys playing piano and definitely remembering to take care of her far too many house plants. You can find her work online under the handle Schnumn.