WeTransfer is proud to be one of a handful of B Corp companies in the world. This means they take regular action for people and planet, and make sure they use their business as a force for good. This year is the third anniversary of WeTransfer becoming a B Corp and to mark this, WePresent has asked some of our favorite illustrators from across the world to contribute a page towards a downloadable coloring book, based on a cause they’re passionate about, from mental health to global equality. Here we meet the artists and find out the meaning behind their drawing.
You can download a digital version of the coloring book here.
As fun and personally enriching as it is, working in the creative industries has never been easy. In the current climate, there are many barriers today that inhibit growth and impact the livelihoods of those creatives. WeTransfer’s 2022 Ideas Report showed that creatives are overworked and tiptoeing on the edge of burnout. 75 percent report experiencing or being close to burnout, a figure which has more than doubled since 2021. While thinking about this, WeTransfer and WePresent asked some of our favorite illustrators from across the globe to contribute a page of a coloring book. Each artist was given free rein to choose a topic aligning with WeTransfer’s B Corp values, like climate change, mental health and the challenges facing the LGBTQ community. Some of them use humor and imagination to tackle their given issue, while others aim to raise awareness through telling stories – but all of them use their creativity to help make these huge and difficult topics more tangible, understandable and relatable.
The coloring book is now available as a download on WeTransfer: you can print these templates and color them in by hand or just keep them on your computer to do so digitally. We’ll release a short video by the illustrators so you can see what was going on in their thought process while making the design. Get coloring and enjoy!
Tara Booth
“My name is Tara Booth. I’m a painter, illustrator and comics artist from Philadelphia. My autobiographical comics shed light on invisible disabilities and mental health issues that many of us struggle with privately, like anxiety, addiction, eating disorders and depression.
I use humor and bright colors to encourage conversation and hopefully help destigmatize these topics. Giving visibility to the kinds of accessibility issues that have impacted me in the past; making tangible the invisible barriers that are not obvious to onlookers. In the coloring book page, I've illustrated some of the tools and books that I've found to be helpful in my healing process, whether it's meeting with a therapist, developing a meditation practice, or just trying to stay hydrated.”
You can see more of Tara’s work over on Instagram or via her website.
María Jesús Contreras
“I'm an illustrator born and raised in the south of Chile in a rainy small town. I studied graphic design in Santiago where I currently live. My art features loud and saturated colors and is filled with memories of childhood. I'm obsessed with creating creatures, whether human or animal or even inanimate objects. Fear and humor are my two motivations.
I currently work for clients such as the New York Times, the Atlantic, Texas Monthly, Penguin Random House, NPR, the New Yorker, the Telegraph, Los Angeles Times, and Berliner Zeitung, among others. My work has been shown in It’s Nice That, Domestika, WeTransfer and Colossal. In 2022 I won the Young Guns award from The One Club for Creativity.
I think I have drawn what I would consider an earth paradise – a world in which natural diversity returns to inhabit the earth. I generally draw images like this. They give me peace of mind and in a certain way they help to generate empathy.”
You can see more of Maria’s work over on Instagram or via her website.
Rakhmat Jaka Perkasa
“My name is Rakhmat Jaka; I'm a graphic designer and illustrator based in South Borneo, Indonesia. In this illustration, I try to capture the spirit of the Indonesian community. Many diverse communities are here, including arts, culture, education, and environmental communities. They interact with each other and sometimes develop cross-disciplinary collaborations. Whatever the context, the goal is to develop local talent, care for the environment, and move Indonesia forward. The visual elements are inspired by Indonesian locales, such as vernacular ads and visuals I encounter daily.”
You can see more of Rakhmat’s work over on Instagram or via his website.
“My name is Rakhmat Jaka; I'm a graphic designer and illustrator based in South Borneo, Indonesia. In this illustration, I try to capture the spirit of the Indonesian community. Many diverse communities are here, including arts, culture, education, and environmental communities. They interact with each other and sometimes develop cross-disciplinary collaborations. Whatever the context, the goal is to develop local talent, care for the environment, and move Indonesia forward. The visual elements are inspired by Indonesian locales, such as vernacular ads and visuals I encounter daily.”
You can see more of Rakhmat’s work over on Instagram or via his website.
Ori Toor
“I’m Ori Toor, and I’m an illustrator. Over several years of the pandemic I think a lot of creatives got very comfortable. I know I got really comfortable in my solitude and this is a solitary profession anyway. So being an illustrator there’s a fine line that’s hard to notice where solitude becomes loneliness and that loneliness is sort of an addiction. The line between needing to have some time alone to relax and decompress and being an introvert, as I am, and then not seeing anyone for a long while and not noticing that you’re not doing so well... I’m still dealing with that, so I think this is what the piece is really about. It's about trying to find that line, trying to understand.
It’s also about the importance of reaching out and keeping in touch with your friends. I think friendship kind of changed after the pandemic as well. I got used to not seeing my friends. Those muscles atrophy.”
You can see more of Ori’s work over on Instagram or via his website.
Sioe Jeng Tsao
“My name is Sioe Jeng and I’m a queer Chinese Dutch artist born in Amsterdam. I make art around topics that matter to me such as LGBTQ rights, women's bodies, racial and climate justice. I’ve chosen to draw a piece that sparks joy and a sense of community. In this time of so much hatred and despair, we have to keep surrounding ourselves with our chosen family who support us unconditionally for who we are.”
You can see more of Sioe’s work over on their website or Instagram.