We’ve launched an illustrator series to help #TakeThePressureOff dating during isolation. 

We’re collaborating with artists to help communicate, illustrate, and tap into self-care, mental health and wellbeing around the ‘new normal’ of dating in isolation.

You might have seen our last post in the series, but today, we talk to Dom&Ink about representation, queer art, and how to deal with ghosting during lockdown:

Badoo Talks Ghosting With Artist Dom&Ink:

Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do

I'm DOM&INK, a freelance illustrator and author who loves to draw up stuff close to my heart - Queer art, body positivity, mental health and of course, drag queens. 

My aim is to illustrate the representation that I never had growing up. Many minorities still don't have that, so I try and use my illustrations to be as inclusive and queertastic as I can! 

I'm really lucky to have illustrated for the official instagram for RuPaul's Drag Race UK, done work for iWeigh, Little Mix, Cheryl and Skinny Dip. My book 'Free To Be Me - an LGBTQ+ Journal on Self-Love, Pride & Finding Your Inner Rainbow' is out now (Penguin Random House UK) and comes out in the USA on April 28th!

Describe your Badoo isolation artwork - why you chose this topic, how it relates to you personally, and why you think it’s important right now

Especially in isolation, we're existing in a  world where we're more accessible - your boss can face time you, your mate can call you, you can flirt with a cutie all day etc. 

However, what do you do when that goes away? What do you do if you're alone and ignored and cut off by someone you'd invested time in getting to know? For me, that hurts out of lockdown, so IN it, erghhhhh it sucks. 

I've been ghosted with the best of 'em and my solution is to remind myself of ME. Cause when you get ghosted you go down this black hole of analysing yourself, normally negatively, and almost forget what makes you brilliant already. 

SO, I wanted to create this mini comic to kind of be like - okay hun, you got ghosted, but you're also fierce in heels with a unicorn cat and got that self worth going on. IT'S HOT. Keep doing it.

What are your top isolation tips?

If you're working from home, put your shoes on - game changer and you're welcome. 

Other than that, take naps and balance out your energy, try and do a little bit of exercise or stretching, reach out to people and talk to them. Oh and get into a Real Housewives franchise. You will NOT regret it.

What are your isolation dating tips? How are you feeling about dating right now?

I'm single (insert gay gasp noise) so I'm doing the dating app vibe right now. 

It's weird as it all kind of slows down and becomes less forced and gets a bit more organic - we're all in this together and no one’s going anywhere, so I like that we can take our time getting our flirt on. 

I'm excited to start dating once we're all out of isolation, but for the time being just chatting here and there is good for me, it's actually helping me realise what I want from a relationship AND what I should be putting in.

What’s the first thing you’re going to do once out of isolation? 

A haircut and eyebrow threading. I can't keep going for daily walks with a bag on my head.

Where can we see more from you? 

You can follow me on Instagram @domandink AND get to take part in all my free isolation stuff. 

Each week I hold an insta art exhibition on my stories with a  theme (so far I've done Drag Race UK, Little Mix, Mental Health, Cheryl and Queer Power!) and you scroll through and check out all the art. 

I also have the #DomAndInkColouringInClub - colouring in sheets that go up weekly that you can download, print and practise some self care and mindfulness on weekly. 

A big thank you to Dom for collaborating with us on this series, and for taking the time to answer our questions.

Badoo will be rolling out more posts like this to help #TakeThePressureOff over the next few weeks, so follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more.