They didn’t work out because Jansson eventually realized that she was gay, which she herself referred to as going “over to the spook side.” Her first serious same-sex relationship was a secret affair with Vivica Bandler, a married theater director. This was back when homosexuality was illegal in Finland, so some have suggested that the Moomin characters of Thingumy and Bob, who speak their own secret language and like to hide from outsiders, were partially inspired by Jansson and Bandler’s relationship.
And then came Tuulikki Pietilä. She was one of the greatest graphic artists in Finnish history, but to Jansson she was the love of her life. In 1956, the Moomin author wrote to her: “I love you as if bewitched, yet at the same time with profound calm, and I’m not afraid of anything life has in store for us.” But even if you never read that, you could have guessed how Jansson felt about Pietilä from the book Moominland Midwinter.
That was the story that introduced the character of Too-Ticky, an outgoing, kind, and resourceful female character who was based on Pietilä in every possible way, from her look to her name, as Tuulikki Pietilä went by the nickname “Tooti.” In the story, the young Moomintroll wakes up from his hibernation early and for the first time in his life experiences winter. That’s when he meets Too-Ticky and she helps him navigate this new and oftentimes dangerous landscape, saving him when he felt alone and lost. Jansson and Pietilä went on to enjoy 45 years together.
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