After years of the academic and professional grind, I created the “Kitten Sardine”—a little character that serves as a representation of myself.

Growing up, I felt unique, but the repetitive loop of school-work-home eventually made me feel like just another sardine in a can, especially when squeezed into a subway car. My character is constantly anxious, caught between the fear of being an outlier and the desperate desire to be “special.” That’s where the cat ears come from. The sardine wears them to stand out while still playing it safe—everybody loves cat, right?

It’s trying to be different without breaking the mold.

This series depicts the Kitten Sardine in situations that trigger my own anxiety, as well as the clumsy attempts to “fix” it—from seeking out religion to the vulnerability of dating. The sardine never truly finds peace; as long as it remains connected to and cares about its surroundings, the anxiety persists.

The silver lining is the connection. By sharing these moments, I’ve realized I’m not the only one feeling this way. There is a strange bond in our shared traumas. We’re all sardines, but at least we’re in this together.