45 Cartoons From Shilpi Samson That Are All Too Relatable
If lockdowns have taught us anything, it is that we are all much more similar than we might think. We all became significantly closer by sharing our mundane daily struggles online, despite the physical distance between us. Artists have created some magnificent illustrations. Even a few as glorious as Indian artist Shilpi Samson. Her series is titled ‘Survive office doodles,’ and she has been creating these adorably relatable images for less than two years that you can find on her Instagram, @surviveofficedoodles. Her bio explains that she “doodles to survive boring office meetings.” We wish we had a talent like that. However, we non-creatives need to sit through the boredom like normal people. It is torture! Enjoy Shilpi’s endearing illustrations of her life, relationships, and struggles with anxiety.
Midnight Munchies
We all have good intentions when it comes to our health, but we know they won’t last forever. We stock up on good foods, fresh veggies, and a water bottle that counts your intake per day. But, after the sun goes down, our inner monster muncher is released.
We all know that calories consumed after dark don’t count. Steamed veggies will only satisfy you for so long. The important thing is to try again tomorrow. Or Monday. Or maybe next month? The next thing we know, the kale is staring at us from the back of the fridge like a forgotten gremlin.
Waking Up Woes
A good night’s sleep is few and far between these days. We either stay up way too late watching TikTok, have to get up every 3 hours to pee, or we toss and turn because our heads are filled with nonsense.
The latter is a particularly frequent occurrence these days. Waking up in cold sweats in the middle of the night because you need to know NOW where you put that thing that you totally don’t need anytime soon. Who can relate?
Shopping Sucks
We can spend literal hours scrolling through feeds of people who received weird and wacky orders online. Shops like Wish and Fashion Nova have taken fast fashion to a whole new level with their misshapen creations, but they also give us pure internet gold.
It’s all fun and games until it happens to you, though! “This dress can’t possibly turn out bad,” we tell ourselves until you end up looking like a sausage in a too-small casing. Perhaps we will stick to real shops for the time being, at least until they figure out how to send a seamstress along with the distorted clothing.
Braid Blunders
We all have that one friend that can make perfect braids. And, they are always too happy to share their skills and attempt to give you the perfect Katniss Everdeen side braid. But what they fail to compensate for is the general lack of hair and odd head shape you have.
We usually end up looking more like the weird kid in the 3rd-grade class than the majestic Disney princess we expected. Can wigs just become affordable so we can pop one on when we feel like it? We guess it’s back to the top knot for now, though.
Budget Blues
This is a dance we all know too well. You see something in the store and instantly fall in love. You simply can’t imagine your life without it. You already see all the places you will go with said item and hear all the compliments you will receive.
Until you make the fatal mistake of looking at the price tag, your dreams lay shattered under the neon store lights. Why couldn’t we just keep the fantasy alive for a few brief moments more? So long, old friend. It was nice while it lasted!
Bed Bound
In 2006, a man called Aza Raskin changed the world as we know it. He invented the “infinite scroll,” a function allowing pages to automatically load new content without users hitting the “next page” button. This seamless experience was both the best and the worst thing to happen to the internet.
We have lost countless hours and days caught in a web of our duvet and social media scrolling. Hands up if you have Carpal Tunnel in your thumb! As long as you change position every now and then to avoid backaches.
Fashion Forward
Our fashion needs have drastically changed over the last year, with remote working being the new norm. Gone are the days of pantsuits and ties, dressing up for work, and wearing your best underwear on the daily. This is our sad, new reality.
Laundry days look drastically different. They mostly consist of 2-week-old sweatpants and Cheeto-stained t-shirts. The most washed item these days is actually our masks rather than our underwear. And who needs a bra anyway when only your face shows up on screen in Zoom?
Overachieving Overthinker
Lockdowns have given us way too much time alone with our thoughts. We have all perfected the art of overthinking as it is aided by hours of staring at the wall, walking back and forth between your bed and the couch, and limited contact with the outer world.
Daily routines and a healthy dose of socializing occupied a fair amount of space in our heads in the old days. But now, we can do nothing other than overthink. If it were a sport, we would certainly have all the gold medals and trophies. But then we would start overthinking about where to display them. The cycle never ends!
New Year, New Me
Every year it’s the same thing – we end off the year in total chaos, promising ourselves next year will be better. We will get healthy, get organized, and start exercising. We have resolutions coming out of the wazoo! Well, that lasts all of 2 days.
Come January 2nd, we are back to our old routines of eating junk food in bed, forgoing exercise, and embracing bad habits. We set out on our life goal of reaching the end of Netflix once more. At least we are dedicated to finishing SOMETHING.
Liquid Love
This is something we are all guilty of and not particularly proud of it either. You have a few too many glasses or even bottles of your favorite wine, and you turn into a loved-up lunatic whose one mission in life is to tell all the world how much you adore them.
It doesn’t matter if your girlfriends are right there next to you or a million miles across the ocean. You love them, and they must know it, RIGHT NOW! “OMG, Stacey, have I told you how much I love you?” And she replies, “Yes, 5 minutes ago.” “But I just love you so much!” “Thanks!”
Relationship Rules
Movies have lied to us. They have fed us romanticized images of relationships where both parties wake up together in softly lit rooms with endless cuddles, no morning breath, and perfect hair. They never show us how mornings go in real households.
Especially when one person wakes up at the crack of dawn, slamming cabinets, stomping around, and turning on all the lights. No, thank you! We would much rather wake up on our own for the rest of time if that is the grim reality we face. Bye, Felicia!
Emotionless Email
“As per my previous email” is probably our most used email phrase, and it is 100% loaded with passive aggression and annoyance. Why do people insist on being useless at their jobs and expect us to stay polite in our replies?
It is simply impossible. We spend 10 times longer thinking about our tone than actually typing the email. And after all of that, we usually still forget attachments. Thank goodness google picks up on our mistakes sometimes! “We have noticed you used the word “attachment” but did not attach anything” … Thanks for reminding us about our blind rage, Google.
Pee-Pee Problems
We can’t even count on two hands anymore how many skin clearing remedies we have tried. But, people always love saying, “just drink more water,” as if it is the easiest thing in the world! When your bladder is the size of a teabag, it’s not quite so easy.
Clear skin, healthy digestion, alertness, good sleep… We were promised all these things if we can just up our water intake. Well, at least we are getting our steps in with all the frequent walks to the bathroom we now have to endure!
Future Fatigue
We all know the struggle: by Wednesday, aka “humpday,” the week has already been too much. One too many emails, one too many phone calls, and one too many annoying bosses breathing down your neck. Can it be Friday already?
But come Friday, we already feel pre-exhausted for the next week because we already know what’s coming – the same stupid phone calls from the same stupid boss not reading his stupid emails. We feel you, girl. Let’s just pour a few Mimosas and forget about it for a brief moment.
Lingerie Lies
We all love buying cute, strappy, lacey, impractical lingerie. On paper, we will be wearing them all the time, even if it is just under a t-shirt. We tell ourselves we need them to feel cute and spicy underneath our normal attire.
But we all know what Victoria’s Secret really is. It is that she only wears the same worn-out bra day in and day out. And even where the wires have started to stick out, you have taken it upon yourself to sow the holes back shut. Ain’t no shame!
Nail Polish Nightmare
Time never passes as slow as when you are waiting for your nail polish to dry. We aren’t all lucky enough to go to the nail salon twice a month or own fancy gear at home that assists with the whole process.
Some of us are doomed to sit and wait until eternity comes or run the risk of getting paint on EVERYTHING. Nothing smears quite like an un-dry nail. This is the perfect depiction of how even after death, we will all still be waiting for supposed “quick dry” nail polish to harden fully. Lies!
Safe Space Selections
You would think by now that we would have figured out that we need a designated safe folder in one designated place. But no, that would be way too easy! We love to struggle. Let’s put seemingly important things in very random places in case a fire breaks out in one room. Right?
We all have about 50 of these so-called “safe spaces” in our homes. Top of a closet, bottom drawers, a shoebox under the stairs, you name it, we have hidden (and forgotten) something there. Come to think of it, where are our insurance policies hidden? Better get searching!
Awful Adulting
Instead of taking classes like woodshop or even PE, we should have enrolled in adulting classes? “The mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell” won’t help us much when tax season comes around… Neither will knowing all the ins and outs of the Kardashian lives, but that’s beside the point.
Adulting is damn hard, and we won’t blame you if you revert to crying rather than doing something constructive. It’s much easier! How is it possible to have these many bills? We thought you only pay rent and for food!
Sharing is Caring
There are a few perks of being in a relationship that makes it worth all the effort. Shared bills are pretty neat. Someone helping to clean is not bad either. You also don’t see us complaining when it comes to having another body to heat your feet in the winter.
But, the best part is pretty much doubling your wardrobe when your man moves in. Sweatpants, t-shirts, and hoodies galore! Nothing is quite better than a pair of broken-in sweatpants… Bonus point: if your man is super tall and you can wear his shirt as a dress!
Nature, Nope
We all love nature. Let’s rephrase, we all love the IDEA of nature. We only love it when it is out there, way in the wilderness, and nowhere near our homes. Even the presence of an ant or ten is too much to handle for some.
Don’t even get us started about when those little intruders from nature have wings! You might as well burn the house down. We all know they are hard-wired to fly into our ears and make a nest in our brains. Just dropping facts here.
Mega Mindfulness
Yoga seems to be the hot topic around town and has become even more accessible than ever. Thanks to online yoga teachers and free apps, everyone can turn their living room into a little Zen yoga space for mental and physical wellness.
We, on the other hand, practice yoga to try and start our day off in the calmest and most serene state possible. Without this centuries-old practice, we are pretty sure we would end each day with a few lawsuits on our hands.
Makeup Malfunction
Another avenue the internet has opened for us is learning how to do makeup properly. Thousands of beauty vloggers have gifted us with intricate how-to videos on how to get the perfect contour or smoky eye in a few easy steps. So to speak, foolproof!
Then how is it that we end up looking more like Pennywise than anything resembling the beauty vlogger suggested? It takes literal HOURS, and chances are we will wash it all off and go with our usual slap of mascara.
Clueless Counter
How is it that some people can work out the exact amount of an 18% tip or instantly know how to alphabetize folders? Yet, here we are singing the ABC song when it comes to placing any letter past D.
And on that note, how on earth do people say the alphabet backward for a drunk test? We can’t even do it properly in the right direction (when sober!). We would just give ourselves in because there is no way we could pass that.
Modern-day Mystery
There are many unexplained phenomena out there. We still don’t know where Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 went or even who built Stonehenge. What happens in the Bermuda triangle, where is Atlantis, and who killed Jon Benét Ramsey? Will we ever know?
Then there is the ever-present mystery of where our hair ties go! You can place it on the counter, but it is guaranteed to be gone within a minute. Somewhere there is a massive sinkhole where all the hair ties go to die, and we are doomed to never find it.
Backache Blues
We have all come to accept the reality that we are getting older. We have a few lines coming in around the eyes, a grey hair or two, hangovers that last 3 days, and we have constant backaches, which we will complain loudly about.
It absolutely has nothing to do with our terrible posture and abnormal sleeping positions. There is nothing we can do about the pain except to complain. But also, who can sit normally on a chair? We don’t trust these people one bit.
Clothes Conundrum
This must be the most relatable thing we have ever seen. We all have “the chair” close to our bed and wardrobe—a perfect middle place between both. If you need the chair, everything goes to the bed. When you need the bed, it all goes back to the chair.
This cycle can continue into infinity. Who has the energy to wash things after every use? We all know denim is at its best after 5 wears. But, if you don’t want to taint your clean closet clothes, it gets added to the chair. It’s simple math, really.
Shady Shades
This is another one of life’s little ironies that we will never understand nor accept. Every now and then, we convince ourselves that we are now adult enough to splurge on a pair of pricey sunglasses to prove our independence and financial freedom.
These are guaranteed to get lost within the month or be scratched beyond repair. But that one pair of fake wayfarers (probably in neon plastic) will survive just about anything and still make its way back onto your face before long.
Shower Sequence
Having a shower is delightfully relaxing, and in some way, it feels like you are washing all your troubles away. But of all the time spent in there, we only do the minimum to actually cleanse our bodies and soak up the suds.
The rest of the time, we simply stare into the abyss, let the water run over us, and contemplate all of life’s biggest mysteries. A good shower cry is also acceptable during this time. No triggers are needed. Just let the tears flow.
Brain Buffering
Overthinking is just in our nature. It comes as easily as breathing and blinking. But, unlike the aforementioned actions, we don’t actually NEED to overthink to survive. But yet, here we are, milling a million thoughts around in our heads and overloading ourselves with anxiety.
The worst is when you are in an argument, and a few days (or even hours) later, you come up with a bunch of excellent comebacks that would have put the other party right in their place. Instead, you went for the old classic, “I know you are, but what am I.”
Toilet Times
We are all very familiar with the red marks left on your knees from playing on your phone too long while on the toilet. Even worse is the dreaded “numb bum,” where you just lose all feeling in your rear.
That’s modern-day bathroom habits for you! And we all fear the day our phone dies, or we leave it in another room. Then, we are doomed to read the back of the air freshener can like the generations before us.
Popcorn Pickle
It is astonishing how much popcorn we can shove into our mouths in one bite, especially when the trailers start rolling. It only takes an average of 4 fistfuls to finish off most of the box, and then we are left with one last handful to last you the next 2 hours.
This is the ultimate test of rationing. We have learned that we will definitely not make it past Tuesday at this rate when the apocalypse comes. Or, we could argue that we don’t want loud chewing during the film either. Whatever works for you!
Infant Innocence
From the eyes of a child, most adults are sad, overworked, and angry. It never made sense when in our own mind, the world was nothing but rainbows and butterflies. We solemnly swore that we would never be one of “those” adults.
Yet, here we are—thirty-something with a permanent scowl on our mugs. Literally, EVERYTHING is annoying, and it takes way too much to make us happy. It looks like our childhood dreams didn’t come true after all. We wonder what 10-year-old us would have to say about this.
Gross Goals
Don’t couples on Instagram make you sick? Getting all lovey-dovey in our faces with their PDA and unattainable couple goals? Bleh! How many hand-holding, lifting each other in the air, or wearing matching outfit photos do we still need to see?
If you want to impress us, take us on an all-you-can-eat date to McD or Burger King, and you will have our hearts forever. And don’t even dare take one of our fries. That is how you buy yourself a one-way ticket to the dog house.
Relaxing Remedies
The internet is full of quick remedies for stress relief. Meditation, yoga, tea concoctions, and smudging all come to mind. But none have been quite as aesthetically pleasing as hoarding plants to try and combat anxiety. Most of our apartments have now been turned into semi-jungles while on this journey of self-enlightenment.
The problem now is that keeping all these plants alive is anxiety-inducing on its own! More water, less water, full sun, more shade, bugs, mold, what next! Do plastic plants have the same effect? Because we are willing to give that a go too.
Facial Freak-out
Don’t you just love a healthy dose of irony in the morning? Every day, we wake up feeling great, with no dark circles under our eyes, fresh and dewy skin. Most days, we don’t even need too much makeup to make us look red-carpet ready.
But heaven forbid we need to actually look cute for once, and we break out worse than a hormone-fueled teenager! Our face somehow resembles the surface of the moon, and there is just no way you can present yourself in public this way. Such is life, we guess!
Petty Portions
We feel like we need to go full Karen on this one. Can we please speak to whoever is in charge of determining portion sizes? Who made you the king of portions, sir? They are guaranteed to make you feel bad and guilty and serve no other purpose.
But, we are taking matters into our own hands. “Family Size” could mean just about anything. Parents and 2 children, sure. Single parent and kid, yep, that’s a family. A spinster with 5 potted plants, absolutely a family! Take that, Mr. Portion Police!
Deadline Death
Nothing seems like an issue when it is still in the distant future. But as soon as those deadlines start approaching, we have to burn the midnight oil big time just to stay on track. There is never enough coffee in the world to get us through it.
The irony is, if we just did a little every day, we wouldn’t be here in the first place. But, who wants to do that! Nothing beats a caffeine-fueled anxiety attack the night before a deadline! We live for the thrill of it.
Quarantine Qualms
You would think that quarantine would do us all good in some way. We could eat healthier without the temptation of restaurants, we could exercise more out of sheer boredom, and we could spend less on account of all the shops being closed.
But thanks to CEO and Entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, the shops have come to our living rooms, and we have no excuse NOT to shop. And with the handy dandy Amazon Prime subscription, we can basically get instant gratification. Thanks, Jeff.
Lyric Lunatic
When it comes to song lyrics, it is an absolute free for all. Yes, the artist wrote them with a specific purpose in mind, but now it is up to us to take some artistic liberties and make songs our own.
Who ACTUALLY knows the lyrics to Despacito? “Something something, mosquito, something something, big burrito.” Sounds about right. It’s not like we are going to ever perform these classics in front of people, and honestly, our pets don’t care about the correct lyrics.
Cat Carer
Some people are cat people, and others prefer dogs, and that is ok. But both parties agree both animals offer vastly different companionship experiences. Most dogs (except Chihuahuas, they are basically cats) offer tons of fun, unlimited cuddles, and fierce loyalty.
Then there are cats, on the other hand – absurdly independent creatures who will make you understand that they own you. Whether it be incessant displays of dominance or outright ignoring you, you will always come second. But we somehow still love them!
Helpless Heroine
A woman is never truly helpless, even if she might want you to think so. Sometimes, she might need you to open a jar or reach for the top shelf. Heck, she might even go so far as to ask you to carry a box or two.
But this, dear gentlemen, is the only time a damsel will TRULY be defenseless. When the nail polish is wet, there are a few brief moments when the earth can come to an end around her, and she could not move an inch.
Parent’s Pantry
No matter how old we get, visiting your parents will always have a few perks. A nicely made bed is probably waiting for you, a yummy home-cooked meal for dinner, and, if you are lucky, a trip to the store for some new socks!
But one perk beats out the rest by miles. Moving their pantry to yours might just be the best thing ever! Our moms will forever assume that we are not able to shop for or feed ourselves, and we are more than happy to keep this illusion alive.
Pancake Panic
Making pancakes is pretty straightforward if you follow the recipe on the box, which we absolutely do not. A little bit more wet, now a little bit more dry, then wet again, then dry again. Ok, one more splash of wet.
The next thing we know, we are ready to feed a whole army with pancakes, and our appetite for the fluffy circles of goo has completely disappeared. The same goes for pasta and rice. How come we never have too much pizza?
Mishearing Mommy
We have all been guilty of this for most of our lives. Why does it always happen that as soon as your mom starts speaking, our ears stop working? We convince ourselves that we totally heard what she said, but just like clockwork, a few minutes later, we don’t even know what year it is.
If moms could only learn to text us these instructions, we wouldn’t be having this problem in the first place. Just give us an easy digital reference to look back on when our brain inevitably turns into a sifter and leaks all the information out.
Productivity Pie chart
Why is it so hard to get motivated? Like where can we sign up for a weekly delivery of motivation, straight to our doorsteps? This pie chart perfectly sums up how we feel about “giving it our all” for a whole week.
It is pretty much never going to happen. We can only extend our motivation so far, and we need to ration it. Otherwise, you reach Wednesday having spent it all and need to suffer through more days running on empty.