GUANGZHOU, April 2 (Xinhua) -- After using a drawing pen to outline cartoon characters, Chinese designer Luo Yuan brightened stars via fluorescent markers. As lights dimmed, these stars held in the arms of the cartoon figures began to glow.

These figures may seem simple, but each is connected to a true and touching story.

Born in 1994, Luo is a designer working in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen in Guangdong Province. From a young age, he has enjoyed drawing cute little characters.

At the beginning of 2021, Luo was inspired to create a series of cartoon figures holding stars, which he shared on the social media platform, Weibo, with the caption "send you stars."

After posting his work on social media, he quickly gained attention. One comment from the mother of an autistic child deeply moved Luo. "My son has autism, one of the 'children of the stars.' Could you draw a little figure with stars in his eyes and a paintbrush in his hand?" the mother wrote.

Inspired by this mother's words, Luo created a small figure with stars in its eyes, bouncing around with energy and joy. When he shared the artwork on social media, many netizens expressed their gratitude, describing it as warm and healing. "It's not just the stars that are being lit up, but also the hope of the autism community," one comment read.

Such heartfelt comments strengthened Luo's resolve to continue creating star-holding cartoon figures. "The figures themselves may have no inherent meaning, but once a story is attached, they become more than just lines on paper -- they can offer spiritual comfort and bring warmth to people's hearts."

Since March 2021, Luo has completed 5,000 star-holding figure drawings, all based on comments from netizens.

Some requested the depiction of loved ones. "Could you draw a strong grandpa supporting a grandma in a wheelchair, both holding stars? They are my dear grandparents, and I miss them very much," one request read.

Others wanted to portray their own strength. "Could you draw a beautiful girl in a wheelchair? I really love my wheelchair, and it makes me feel like I'm standing in the crowd, even though I'm sitting," a netizen wrote.

Each cartoon figure, though basic, is unique. They include an elderly person sitting on a star, a dog lover with a star above the head, a girl in a wheelchair, a firefighter and a soldier. These glowing stars symbolize deep feelings of love and longing within people's hearts.

Luo works as a designer for an internet company in Shenzhen. Despite his busy schedule, he insists on creating characters during lunch breaks, after work and on weekends. "Sometimes I spend the whole day drawing. I once drew as many as a hundred figures in a single day."

Notably, the star figure series has been a bittersweet creative journey for Luo. He recalled that a fan battling a serious illness had once requested a personalized star figure, but that by the time he saw the message, the fan had already passed away.

To express his condolences, Luo created a special video for the fan, featuring a little girl with a backpack rising from the ground, slowly spreading her wings, and eventually flying into a sky full of shining stars, where she gently falls asleep, holding a star in her arms.

"Given the flood of messages, responding promptly and appropriately is quite challenging," Luo explained. "What's even harder is finding inspiration from these messages, as many are about departed loved ones. Over time, the sadness inevitably creeps in, as a glowing star often represents a life that has passed."

Despite the dual challenges of a busy job and creative bottlenecks, Luo remains committed to using his art to help netizens realize their dreams. He plans to complete 10,000 star figures. "These works are a collective effort -- I'm simply bringing their words to life. It's their messages that give meaning to the figures," he explained.

In today's fast-paced world, Luo has made time to create a starry sky for ordinary people through simple strokes. The glowing stars in his works serve as tiny lights in countless hearts. "May every star find its own night," he said. Enditem

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