Artist Behind A New Colouring Book Hopes To Shed The Stigma Around Periods

Artist Cass Clemmer is hoping to rid the world of period stigmatisation with a new colouring book called The Adventures of Toni the Tampon.

The Washington-based artist was inspired to create a menstruation-themed colouring book after a social media project. Clemmer started an Instagram account last year, where she uploaded photos of “Toni the Tampon”.

Speaking to Mashable, Clemmer said she went from hiding her tampon in her sleep to taking photos of it in public. The artist grew up in a missionary community in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an environment she described as conservative and silent around sex education, sexuality and reproductive health.

“I didn’t know what a uterus was,” said Clemmer. “I didn’t know where this blood was even coming from or why.” She was only ever taught how to clean it up so the world wouldn’t see it.

Clemmer soon realised that most people around the world receive little education on menstruation. “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,” she said.

“The amount of work and ingenuity that goes into hiding this shared, cyclical experience would be comical if it wasn’t distressing,” Clemmer explained.

Toni the Tampon’s Instagram account, and the new colouring book, is Clemmer’s attempt at confronting global discomfort with periods. She hopes to generate conversations around menstruation and proper education around reproductive health.

Toni the Tampon also has a friend, Marina the Menstrual Cup. (If you’d like more information about reusable menstruation, you can read our article about them here.)

For the record, Toni the Tampon isn’t a female character either.

Clemmer purposely created a gender-ambiguous figure as a form of representation for genderqueer people with periods. She says she’d rather help just one genderqueer or trans menstruator feel like they’re accepted, over selling a million copies.

“It’s a tough conversation to have with kids, especially when you consider that adults are often struggling with their own internalised period shame,” Clemmer told Mashable.

“But hopefully, by opening up a fun and creative gateway to discussion, my period colouring book will help make that conversation a little easier.”

Photo: Instagram (@tonithetampon)