Invincible Venus, Go-go Volcano
Invincible Venus, Go-go Volcano is an illustrated companion for urban life that you can open on any page to discover reflections on the everyday challenges of being human.
The story unfolds through your own interaction with each spread, weaving your personal experiences together with those of the characters—most of them women navigating moments of challenge, change, and transformation.
What awaits you is an intelligent, playful, and deeply moving journey through hand-drawn black-and-white illustrations and text, infused with humour, whimsy, and heartfelt insight.
Book Details
224 pages, black and white
161 × 200 mm, hardcover
CHF 40 plus shipping
To order: email mail@monicavaldivia.com
The Story Behind the Book
II created Invincible Venus, Go-go Volcano during one of the most difficult periods of my life. The book grew out of my own healing journey through loss, heartbreak, and the death of people I loved deeply. During that time, I became aware of how much I was seeking validation outside of myself because I didn’t know how to be with my pain.
This book emerged from that very process.
If you’d like to read the full story, click the arrow below.
I was so tangled up in myself.
How could I feel like the vibrant, desirable woman I longed to be? How could I reconnect with the inner child who felt safe, free, and wild? I knew I was relying on things that could no longer sustain me. I needed to listen more deeply and discover what my heart truly longed for. I had no choice but to sit with myself and have long conversations with my aching heart and the wounded woman I had become.
As I spent time with myself and allowed a deeper wisdom to come through, words and images began to flow onto the page. I had no idea where they would lead me, but the process was joyful. It eased my pain and became a remarkable journey of self-discovery filled with laughter. Of course, it took courage and time to get there, but not as much as I had imagined. As an illustrator, I used the tools I knew best to give shape to the words I needed to hear – the words I wished someone had spoken to me again and again.
Today, whenever I feel out of balance, unhappy, impatient, or overwhelmed, whenever I need to be reminded that my truth matters and that I am supported by the women around me, I return to Invincible Venus, Go-go Volcano. I am continually surprised by the impact it still has on me. It reminds me of my own strength and of how rich and beautiful life can be – even during difficult times, when nothing seems to be working and the path ahead feels uncertain.
My hope is that this book inspires your own imagination and invites you into new inner and outer adventures, helping you discover and experience the extraordinary person you already are.
Take a Look inside the Book
What Readers Are Saying
“Inspiration. Réflexion. Vraiment génial!”
“Started to flip through your amazing book. Had to laugh out loud a few times already! Beauuuuutiful drawings! My dear, I’m very impressed! Clearly, you are blessed with talent and beauty….
What a great inspiration your book is. It’s like a sweet healing ointment you can rub in where it hurts. It’s the benefit of having someone reminding you of all those little truths you only get to know when shedding more than just a tear. It’s the many colors of free association. It’s a peek into a beautiful mind, to which I feel kinship. Go circles, go, bring us together!”
“Sunshine, balcony and cool phrases by Monica Valdivia just make you happy!”
“I love it! This book is my daily dose of positivism. I can truly feel all the love and soul you put into it.”
“You have come upon with a most creative and original idea, to write and illustrate with your very unique drawings your thoughts about life in a very deep way, while at the same time with a lot of humour and a very original concept and true with the time we live in…I am sure your mother would have been so proud of you and so happy to be receiving such a precious gift from you!”
“I got your book just a few days ago – it’s wonderful! Thank you so much, for the humour, the laughter, the seriousness, the wickedness, the love. It was a gift to myself, nobody could have known me better.”
”Your book has become a dear companion to me. Thank you for sharing intelligent and encouraging insights in a playful, artful and poetic way. I keep giving your book to dear friends. As it’s generally hard to find cool stuff to give away, I hope you’ve got a few copies left.”