Photo: Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Sausville
REVERE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Since the winter of 2018, 24-year-old Olivia MacDonald from Revere has been creating art every day, a practice that began when she wanted to do something nice for her cousin in Switzerland who was suffering from depression.
"I wanted to spread love and positivity to him, he could see it every day and give him some new inspiration and hope. He told me that he can't really see in color anymore, so I think that's why I also do my drawings in black and white ink, because I try to show the beauty in black and white as well," MacDonald told WBZ's Suzanne Sausville.
Over the last three years, MacDonald has done over a thousand drawings that have gained plenty of recognition online, with her Instagram account, "Ink By Olivia," surpassing 23,000 followers. Her daily drawings have been posted there, coupled with an inspirational quote in the comments for each.
MacDonald said that people all over the world have written to her saying that they too suffering from depression, and that her cousin is doing much better.
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According to the Ink By Olivia website, MacDonald was self-taught and received her BFA in creative writing with a minor in illustration in 2020. In addition to her daily drawings, MacDonald said she has also done commissions in custom tattoo designs, album covers, gig posters, logos, and product labels for international companies.
WBZ's Suzanne Sausville (@wbzSausville) reports.
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