zondag 17 juni 2012

Tale of a menstrual secret



When I think about designing a new item (and this can be anywhere: in the shower, in heavy traffic, while picking up mu kids from school), this is often a process that cannot be interrupted.This is quite annoying to the ones around me, but in my head colors and functions work together in creating the perfect bag.

Anything can trigger this process. It can be a conversation with a neighbor, a specific color or in this particular case an advertisement for sanitary pads without even mentioning the words: period, menstrual cycle, blood, heavy flow, or even "drop dead all of you". The advertisement was all about nice clouds and being me all days of the month.

Ladies, this story is about your monthly discomfort. See? I did it. I did not mention it by it's true name, and again I am not doing it! Why is that? Why do we shy away from the one thing that makes special, defines our gender and the single true miracle of life?



Everybody works together in keeping this a secret. We are even ashamed of it and would prefer it if nobody knows when that part of the month arrives. But we know! And don't worry, everybody around you will too. Why? Because God decided that it is a bloody shame that we go around hiding the gift of life that - for those couple of days - he makes us cranky, unreasonable, unreliable, unpredictable, unstable, emotional, aggressive bitches.



Well WTF! I am being me all days of the month! Just a different me when I am having my period. If you have a problem with that, I will meet you outside after this!

But life plays funny tricks on us. It is said that women, living together tend to synchronize their menstrual cycles. I used to live in a house with 7 other female students and at some point we figgered out that 6 out of 8 were having their period in the exact same week. This - again - is the universe taking care of us. If we are going to be in the above mentioned state, we might as well turn at each other and get it over with. This - by the way - worked very well because we could bulk shop for chocolate bars.

But now back to the issue at hand.



I designed a travel pouch for sanitary pads. What I wanted to do is make a pouch with fake sanitary pad on the outside of the pad. But then I realized that the world is not ready for that - yet.

So to avoid further embarrassement I designed the fake sanitary pad on the inside of the pouch*. If you look at the closed pouch you will be thinking of clouds and being you all days of the months.

When you open it, reality will sink in, and you will be your own bitchy self again.

Enjoy!




* I have two versions: A blue one and black version. Choose according to your mood.

2 opmerkingen:

  1. Hee Monique, deze zijn fantastisch! Het zou inderdaad eens tijd worden dat wij vrouwen over de schaamte heen komen - maar zo ver zijn we nog lang niet... Ik ben opgeleid als verloskundige en deze materie (en vrouwengezondheidszorg in het algemeen)ligt me dus na aan het hart. Leuk dat je er post aan wijdt!

    Groeten, Margriet (van WeerLeuk op Etsy ;-) )

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  2. Vind je ook niet? Dank voor je reactie!
    Groeten, Monique

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