There are about as many slang words used to describe the vagina as there are actual vaginas in the world, yet they all seem to be tinged with a pejorative tone — but not for long, if vagina-themed adult coloring book Colour Up Next Tuesday (see what it did there?) has its say. Created by UK-based conceptual art director and illustrator Beki Reilly, the cleverly-named coloring book aims to reclaim our anatomy through beautiful doodles in intricate patterns. And, yes, it's every bit as brilliant as it sounds.
The idea was born when a friend of Reilly's suggested she tackle a more traditional adult coloring book, an idea Reilly admittedly wasn't particularly keen on at first. "It all seemed to be flowers and animals, and I didn't want to do the same," she tells Bustle via email. "I also work as an art director in advertising, so I spend a lot of time conceptualizing and thinking of ideas for adverts. If I was going to make a book, it needed to have an idea behind it." That's when, as she puts it, she struck upon "the idea of empowerment through color — taking ugly words and making them beautiful." Says Reilly, "It's such a simple mechanic to color in, but by transforming the word with color, you can completely change how you feel about it. Coloring is a form of therapy, so perhaps there could be therapy in what you color ... not just the act of coloring itself."
The resulting project, which is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, promises to let you "color those c*nts, finesse those flaps, and master that minge." In a word, Reilly's hand-drawn illustrations are taking back the sanctity of the vagina. "It's sooooo important for women to reclaim these words so they are no longer words used to shame," she shares with Bustle. She adds of her decision to devote an entire adult coloring book to 15 typically negatively-charged words, "So yeah, I went for vaginas. It's no surprise I consider myself to be feminist. And I think words like c*nt, gash, and twat are intended to humiliate women for having a vagina, which is just ridiculous! As most coloring book users are female, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for women to reclaim these words with something as simple as pencil crayons." The same is true for all vagina-havers — and everyone, really. Using feminine things as insults is a cultural habit that hurts us all.
Can't wait to get creative? It looks like you won't have to wait much longer to turn all these slang terms and euphemisms into works of art — as the vagina rightfully should be considered — given that Reilly is already $1,128 into her $1,323 goal with 20 days to go in the Kickstarter campaign. If all goes as planned, we'll all have our hands on Reilly's feminist coloring book by the end of the year. And when that does happen, get ready to celebrate if you happen to live in Reilly's neck of the woods. When asked what she'll do to commemorate the occasion should she hit her mark soon, Reilly said, "Oh my word, I don't want to jinx it ... but, if I do (touch wood), I'm going to take everyone who's helped me out for a drink to celebrate. I've had some amazing people lend a hand to help me get this off the ground, and I'm incredibly grateful for their expertise. I literally couldn't have done it without them, so I'd wan to thank them all with a beverly or two!"
In between downing a few beverlys at the bar with Reilly and waiting for your Colour Up Next Tuesday to arrive in the mail, here's something else to look forward to: we haven't seen the last of Reilly's cheeky breed of feminism just yet. "I have a few ideas that I'd like to explore should this be successful," she hinted. "I think there's something incredibly satisfying in taking back offensive language, and I'm hoping I'll get the chance to empower more people in the future."
Head over to the Colour Up Next Tuesday Kickstarter to throw in a few bucks.
Images: Courtesy of Beki Reilly
