Instead of silently struggling to open tampons in bathroom stalls, Cass Clemmer is busting wrappers open and welcoming tampons into the world -- complete with googly eyes.
Clemmer, an artist from Washington, D.C., started carrying around "Toni the Tampon" about a year ago and has been documenting the inanimate object's adventures "outside the wrapper" on Instagram.
SEE ALSO:8 times Instagram policed women's bodies"I went from hiding my tampon in my sleeve to taking photos of it in public," Clemmer tells Mashable.
Now, Toni and an accompanying cast of menstruation-themed friends are starring in a 20-page coloring book called The Adventures of Toni the Tampon, illustrated by Clemmer. And it's all an effort to destigmatize menstruation for the masses.
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Clemmer knows first-hand about problems that stem from a lack of education about periods.
"I didn't know what a uterus was."
The artist grew up in a missionary community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in an environment that was conservative and silent around sex education, sexuality and reproductive health.
"I didn't know what a uterus was, and I didn't know where this blood was even coming from or why," Clemmer says. "The only thing I was taught was how to clean it up so the world didn't see it -- and then I was sent on my way to figure the rest out myself."
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Though it would be easy to blame this lack of essential knowledge solely on the community's values, Clemmer learned very quickly that most people around the world receive very little education on menstruation.
"It's a tough conversation to have with kids, especially when you consider that adults are often struggling with their own internalized period shame."
"A lot of us are taught to keep periods to ourselves, to the point that even having a wrapped tampon outside the confines of the bathroom can feel inappropriate," the artist says. "The amount of work and ingenuity that goes into hiding this shared, cyclical experience would be comical if it wasn't distressing."
Clemmer decided to create Toni the Tampon's Instagram account -- and the new coloring book extension of Toni’s social media presence -- to confront global discomfort with periods. Through creativity and somewhat silly artistry, Clemmer hopes to generate more open conversations and more comprehensive education around reproductive health.
"It's a tough conversation to have with kids, especially when you consider that adults are often struggling with their own internalized period shame," Clemmer says. "But hopefully, by opening up a fun and creative gateway to discussion, my period coloring book will help make that conversation a little easier."
In The Adventures of Toni the Tampon, the characters embark on a series of unexpected adventures, from out-of-this-world space exploration to shredding it up at a skate park.
The coloring book features characters based around different forms of menstrual hygiene products -- Toni the Tampon, Marina the Menstrual Cup, Sebastian the Sponge and Patrice the Pad.
Credit: Cass Clemmer/Toni the tamponYes, Sebastian the Sponge is a man. And, yes, men do get periods.
"I'd rather help just one genderqueer or trans menstruator feel like they were seen, than sell a thousand copies..."
In fact, Toni the Tampon isn't a female character either. Clemmer created the tampon, who goes by a gender-ambiguous name, as a form of representation for genderqueer people with periods. The artist was intentional about bringing diverse gender representation to the book's cast of characters, hoping to create something that was "affirming to all menstruators."
Clemmer admits the decision to include genderqueer and transgender characters undoubtedly makes the coloring book harder to market in a world that largely believes only women get periods. But risking profits and popularity in the name of inclusivity and accurate depiction was more important to the artist.
"I'd rather help just one genderqueer or trans menstruator feel like they were seen, than sell a thousand copies only to reinforce the boundaries society draws by gendering periods in the first place,” Clemmer says.
Credit: Cass Clemmer/Toni the tamponClemmer hopes the coloring book will allow people to be more candid about their periods -- and maybe even inspire them to walk to bathrooms with tampons outside of their shirtsleeves. Maybe, the artist says, colorers will even be inspired to try a product they'd never heard of, like a sponge or menstrual cup.
"I'm not asking everyone to jump for joy when their cycle comes -- because for a lot of people, periods really suck," Clemmer says. "But the importance of this period coloring book and Toni's Instagram is to help people talk about it, laugh about it, and even have a little bit of fun while dealing with the fact that their body is literally pushing out blood and tissue for days on end."
You can follow Toni's adventures on Instagram at @tonithetampon, or order The Adventures ofToni the Tampononline.
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