Paula Kuka is an artist in Australia who creates illustrations about what she knows best: being a mom.

Kuka has two children and said,

“I survived the wild and hazy early days of being a mum of two by documenting our life in series of cartoons.

What began as a personal project, took on a life of its own and I discovered not only were the drawings very therapeutic for me, they were also resonating with women all over the world.”

Enjoy Kuka’s artwork and be sure to follow her on Instagram.

1. Sometimes very lonely.

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One of the great paradoxes of motherhood is that you can be as close to another person as is physically possible and yet the loneliest you’ve ever been. 🏘️🏡🏘️🏡🏘️🏡 We now live on an idyllic suburban street. Occasionally, drifting over the fences, I’ll hear the typical sounds of a mum’s nerves frazzled; voices raised, a shrieking child, a door slammed.  And while I wouldn’t wish a toddler tantum or rejected homecooked dinner strewn across the floor on any of my lovely neighbours, sometimes, it’s just the reminder I need that I’m not alone after all. 🏘️🏡🏘️🏡🏘️🏡 Excerpt from this weekends column in @play_magazine_

A post shared by Paula Kuka (@common_wild) on Nov 3, 2019 at 1:03am PDT

2. Finding magic.

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I got a bit deep in my stories so thought I would keep it light here. Can we all just take a moment to marvel in our little creatures who find magic in the most unlikely places. 🐬🦈🦐🐟🦀🐙🐬🦑🐟 What slightly mundane thing has blown your kid’s mind? Or what thing that you thought would blow their mind have they been completely unimpressed by?

A post shared by Paula Kuka (@common_wild) on Nov 14, 2019 at 2:53am PST

3. There’s a lot more to it.

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I spent yesterday feeling a little angry and powerless about a particular cartoon by a well-known Australian cartoonist. . Today I realised I might be angry, but I’m not powerless. This is my response. . (In case you missed it, it was to do with the recent spate of babies falling out of prams and being abandoned by mothers too busy checking Instagram 🙄🤦‍♀️).

A post shared by Paula Kuka (@common_wild) on Oct 25, 2019 at 1:52am PDT

4. Try it out sometime…

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Apparently it's international coffee day which is a bit ridiculous because surely every day is international coffee day!? 🤷‍♀️☕ For all my tired friends… We are tired but we are tough. Don't you forget it. 😴💪

A post shared by Paula Kuka (@common_wild) on Oct 1, 2019 at 3:04am PDT

5. Ouch!

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I don’t know much about honey badgers… except that I would be very good at cutting their nails.

A post shared by Paula Kuka (@common_wild) on Sep 8, 2019 at 4:43am PDT

6. That’s good advice.

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This is a repost because I have been absolutely head down in commissions and every time I go to draw a new cartoon I have to give myself a little talking to and go back to the commissions. 🌿 This was very relevant to my day. Two sick kiddos. An impatient headspace because my mind is slightly distracted with my ‘to-do’ list. A very short nap from the toddler. Even the four year old was annoyed he didn’t get his ‘me time’ before she woke up. So when things got a bit tense we went into the garden and I was aware my neighbour was in hers. It’s amazing how well you parent when you think someone can hear you. It forced me to be patient when the two of them fought over who got to use the broom (even though there are two identical brooms.) I took the time to come up with relatively sensible answers to a string of questions about whether mosquitos can see through glass. It really did turn things around. 🌿 I would love to know your disaster day survival tips. I'll be including some in my book. 😉

A post shared by Paula Kuka (@common_wild) on Aug 20, 2019 at 3:10am PDT

7. All moms worry.

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Right guys, I need your help this week. You may have seen on my stories I am in lock down mode so I can finish my book. 📚 Throughout the book I’ll be including comments from some of you lovely people. Starting with this one… 📚 I drew this in relation to my second baby because I really did make a promise to myself not to obsess about the small things. And did I end up worrying about every little thing??? ALL THE TIME! I would love to hear from anyone who can relate to this. What things did you worry about that in hindsight were a waste of energy? What advice do you have for anyone who is in a bit of a stress spiral?

A post shared by Paula Kuka (@common_wild) on Jul 22, 2019 at 2:39am PDT

8. Two sides of the coin.

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Sometimes you just want a streak-free healthy glow 🤭🌞.

A post shared by Paula Kuka (@common_wild) on Jul 18, 2019 at 3:42am PDT

9. I’ll be hiding…with wine.

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Happy Friday Everyone! Especially those in the thick of school holidays…. Which seems like the whole world at the moment? 🍷🦸‍♀️🤸‍♀️

A post shared by Paula Kuka (@common_wild) on Jul 12, 2019 at 3:30am PDT

10. Be careful what you wish for.

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Spoiler alert: Its doesn’t get easier. It just gets more interesting.

A post shared by Paula Kuka (@common_wild) on May 10, 2019 at 3:25pm PDT

To all the moms out there, what do you think of Kuka’s comics? Are they on the money???

Tell us what you think in the comments! Because that’s what we do around here!