Comic • Humor

Enjoying the Self Care Ritual of a Bubble Bath

“Am I doing this right?”

A humor comic about the gap between a relaxing self-care ritual and actually trying to enjoy one.

Written and illustrated by Delaney Gibbons. Published in The Belladonna, 2024.

Illustration of a coral bathtub overflowing with foamy white bubbles, and a light blue tiled bathroom wall, over which is the handwritten title 'Enjoying the Self Care Ritual of a Bubble Bath' by Delaney Gibbons.
Step one: Get in. An illustration of a foot gingerly stepping into the bubble bath, and a cut away panel showing the character's exaggerated face looking wide-eyed, with the word 'HOT!' in her thoughts above her.
Step two: Glass of wine. Illustration shows the hidden figure's hand holding a glass of wine just above the bath, surrounded by a lot of overflowing bubble. A speech bubble asks, "Too much bubbles?"
Step three: Read a book. Illustration of the person holding a book while in the bath, with the bottom pages getting all wet from the water and bubbles, A speech bubble contains the word 'CRAP'.
Step four: Switch to phone. Illustration shows a hand holding a phone out above the bubbles. A cut-away section shows the character's exaggerated, worried expression, with the words "OMG," "Don't Drop," and "Please Don't Drop."
Step five: Back to wine. Illustration shows a shadowed profile view of the woman relaxing back in the bubble-filled tub, holding a glass of wine. A speech bubble says, 'Shit, I forgot to light candles'.
Panel Six: Midway Through Bath. Illustration shows the woman scrunched up in the tub, with the part of her body under the water reading "WARM," and the part that is out of the water reads "COLD."
Step seven: Anxiety sets in. Illustration of a person experiencing anxiety, with various anxious thoughts and questions surrounding their head, including "My book is all wrinkly," "Is there a leak?" "My knees are cold," and "What are bath salts?"
Step eight: Exit bath. Illustration shows a shivering naked woman just out of the tub and reaching for a towel, water dripping from her. A thought bubble reads "negative 45 degrees."
Step nine: Self-care positivity. Illustration of a woman relaxing onto the couch next to her partner, with her body and hair wrapped in bath towels, saying she just had the most relaxing bath.

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