While Kahlo's circumstances were much more dire than the ones Helga endured in the hit series, it's easy to see how the artist's youth could inspire the strength and sometimes bullish nature embodied by the character who fell for the coolest kid in school. Other traits of Kahlo's seem to present themselves in Helga, too. For instance, she celebrates her unique traits and isn't eager to conform to society's beauty standards for femmes and girls.