“My Heart Is Soft And My Brain Is Trash”: Beautiful Illustrations by Abigail E. Penner

Abigail E. Penner is an illustrator and writer based in Lincoln, Nebraska, who describes herself as a “daydreamer, monster girl” making hand‑drawn, emotionally raw art about mental health, self‑loathing, tenderness and being “a little freak.”

She builds her full‑time illustration business around vulnerability—pairing graphite/ink drawings and quirky “monster” characters with handwritten text like “Nothing! Is! Okay!” and “I am eternally feeling feeling feeling!”—then releases them as collectible monthly drops, size‑inclusive clothing, prints, socks collaborations (like Hippy Feet) and other wares for self and home. Having left college and formally studied fine art and cello before going all‑in on illustration, she now runs the brand Abigail E. P. with her husband, sharing her “bleeding heart” online so people who feel broken, weird or too much can see themselves in her monsters and text‑based pieces.

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