Abi Toads always wanted her illustrations to bring wonder and magic into people’s lives, and she found a way to get it done. Her illustrations and animated shorts are as adorable as it gets, and they wouldn’t be the same without Mushlings, the quirky mushroom creators that inhabit her imaginary worlds.
Abi has come a long way since she first started her Instagram page in 2021, and she attracted over a million followers in just three years. It’s been a joy to watch her skills evolve as she made progress with her illustrations and started working on more complex animated videos.
One thing that didn’t change are the themes she enjoys exploring through her art, and there’s a reason why mushrooms often take center stage. Abi decided to put them front and center because they are “quirky and strange, yet cute little beings”, and it’s extremely fun to come up with personalities for them because there are so many species out there.
Abi’s Mushlings became so popular that she decided to build a whole world around them. In addition to prints and stickers, she’s also selling sweaters, shirts, and plushies inspired by her illustrations, and we’ve recently seen her co-create a board game called Mycelium, where they take center stage.
