Artist Illustrates the Good News That Happened in 2021

30+ Good New Stories That Shine a Light on the Positive Parts of 2021

By Sara Barnes on December 16, 2021

Every year is filled with its challenges. Some years are more volatile than others, and bad news seems to permeate every part of our lives. Illustrator Mauro Gatti is helping to balance that out by shining a light on the positive stories that are often overshadowed by the negative ones. Through The Happy Broadcast, he illustrates and shares fact-checked “anxiety-free news” that celebrates the good things happening in the world.

With the year coming to a close, it’s natural to look back at the past 365 days and reflect on what defined that time. Scrolling through The Happy Broadcast, it’s easy to look on the bright side. From positive news about mitigating climate change to breaking the stigma around mental health, each blurb features a charming illustration by Gatti.

Although inundated with news, there is a story that stood out to Gatti in 2021. “There’s an organization in Finland called Aktivistimummot, meaning ‘activist grannies,’” he tells My Modern Met. “It’s a group pushing for environmental change that delivers a lot of information about climate change. Their aim is simple: to ensure their grandchildren have a safe and sustainable future.” Gatti likes this story because of what it represents. “It’s a great example of how we can all come together, despite our age difference, for the greater good of a sustainable and fulfilling life for everyone.”

We’ve admired The Happy Broadcast for years, and it’s continued to grow throughout that time. One way is through a new app called Whole. Gatti calls it the “next incarnation of The Happy Broadcast,” and it’s a personal guide to being a happier person.

“Over the last four years building The Happy Broadcast,” he shares, “I have learned from our users that there are many different activities people do to boost their happiness. Whether it is reading positive news we post, expressing gratitude or kindness, going for a walk, doing a meditation, or one of the over 100 science-backed activities that evidence shows can boost a person's happiness.”

Whole offers users suggestions of things they can do to boost their happiness. “The app is a sort of My Fitness Pal for mental health in that it helps users build positive habits by reminding them to do these things and encouraging and tracking completion to keep the momentum going on their journey towards a happier life,” Gatti says. People are joining every day. “We launched the app last month and already have over 10k people using it to build happier habits into their daily routine and our hope is that all 1 million+ of our followers will give it a try. Habits control almost 50% of what we do on a daily basis, so building habits geared towards happiness will dramatically improve people's everyday lives.”

Scroll down for some bright spots in 2021. If you’d like to try Whole, you can download the app here.