Meet Tat

Tat is the newest member of the intentionalARTifact team. Her skin is collaged with receipts—evidence of transactions—and flourishes cut from a century-old copy of Maupassant’s Collected Stories. Every receipt makes a values statement. Maupassant was chosen for sentimental reasons.

Marked by Memory

A receipt is usually handed to us at the end of a purchase, if we want it. I collect mine. Tat’s face is covered with receipts from a trip to Montreal—documenting firsts, lasts, and moments exchanged for currency. Meal receipts shared with loved ones are placed over her brain. Grocery lists run down her limbs—you know the saying: we are what we eat.  Acrpss her surface: fuel costs, household items, dentist visits, books, dog food, medicines. We often say, “Put your money where your mouth is.” Our receipts reflect our beliefs.

But the flourishes—those curving, calligraphic marks—are different. They’re not records. They’re expressions of individuality. They’re Tat’s tattoos.

Order History

When I was a kid, I was allowed to buy one Scholastic book from the flimsy catalog we brought home from school. I’d fill out the order form on the back page and hand it to my teacher with cash. Then I’d wait. It could take weeks, but when the book finally arrived, it was mine.

My granny never questioned what I picked. I felt real agency in the choosing. Each book joined my slow-growing collection.

We didn’t have much money living with Granny—sometimes not enough. She complained about it often, so I know. And I know she did the best she could.

When I became a parent, my kids brought home the same Scholastic order forms—but there were no restrictions. For the record: we also maxed out our library cards—ten books per person, thirty books in our shopping cart, and not a single grocery item among them.

The “mannekids” I make from these drawings aren’t my children. My children belong to themselves.
But the mannekids carry the gifts they gave me—they gifted me a deeper understanding of what it means to live a full life.  And they’ve given me perspective. 

I use the drawings because I have them—boxes of them.
Because they’re honest and playful.
Because they hold weight.
And because they offer the chance to transform what was into something new—an amalgamation of possibility.

We were all once children.
And we are all someone’s child.

Why Tea Bags?

There was a time in my life when tea became a kind of placebo. I drank it to self-soothe. I wasn't one to "hit the hard stuff" and I’m not a pill popper- so tea became my quiet addiction. Cup after cup, every day.  Black in the morning, green or herbal after lunch and into the evening.