Oakland, California-based stop motion/GIF artist Headexplodie (aka Annie Wong) thinks that society is overreacting to menstruation, an ordinary biological process that affects half our population. That’s why she created “Ovary Actions” (get it…? Overreactions = Ovary Actions), an ongoing series of lovely animated gifs based on period euphemisms. She’s hoping they’ll take some of the stigma out of “that time of the month.”
I’m interested in the cultural paradox that exists around menstruation. Although it’s an ordinary and healthy part of life, we treat it as if it were a mysterious thing which leaves us with a confused and silly view of it….
I just think it’d be cool if we could all be more chill and comfortable with talking about this thing that for so long has been painted with a broad brush of negativity.
I personally used to think about my periods as something to be ashamed of, to hide, something that made me feel absolutely gross. But since embarking on this project I’ve opened myself up to various menstrual educators, artists, and entrepreneurs, and seeing their work in my daily feed makes periods seem totally normal. Being able to talk openly about it with my friends has done the same. Normalizing periods is the first step in being able to take better care of our reproductive health.
If you love this project as much as I do, be sure to follow her on Instagram. Also: can we all just agree that “Headexplodie” is the best artist name ever?