Chapter 7
Spilling the Tea
May 2026 | Paintings 36-40 in My 100 Dresses
Chapter 7 | May 2026
The Story
“Spilling the tea” is a phrase that refers to sharing the juiciest of gossip. However, there is a less well-known saying that goes, “Tea stains, so be careful where you spill it.” In essence, be careful what you say because words cannot be erased. It was this idea that made me wonder, what words do I want to stick with me?
So I spent several months interviewing older women in my life, collecting their wisdom and turning their words into poetry for each painting. I wanted to reflect this story within the paintings as well, so the colors you see in each piece are solely from spilled tea & organic powders. The stains represent the words of wisdom now turned into art and integrated into poetry.
A final note...
These paintings, like people, will age. The materials are intentionally organic, not archival, and so they will fade over time. There is something beautiful in knowing their appearance will subtly shift each year, just as we, too, shift and change over time.
From the Collection
Fine Art Prints
Chapter 7
Spilling the Tea
"Women of Hope"
The Poem
Women of Hope
I’ve met the women
who tell stories of dancing in
hospital basements,
where they found unexpected friendship
in the least likely of places.
They tell of how
grief shows up when you least expect it,
which is why it’s so important to
sing while washing dishes.
They remind me how generous it is
to carry extra tears in our eyes,
because there is almost
always
a stranger
who also needs to cry.
But mostly, they tell stories of how God really does
love the brokenhearted,
and I’m tempted to believe them
because how else could
these women be filled
with so much
hope?
- Andrea Jacobsen Poetry
"A Good Life"
The Poem
A Good Life
A good life, one spent jumping
and tumbling
and flying
and breaking,
a life spent embracing the fear of not knowing
more than the comfort of settling,
it’s the life who stays present in both
the beautiful and the brutal seasons,
only a person like this,
who arrives at the end a little
sweaty and sun-kissed,
will be able to look back
at their regrets
with kind eyes and gentle kisses
because they understand that
a good life was never about perfection,
it was simply being willing
to live fully in
the one precious life
they were given.
- Andrea Jacobsen Poetry
"Light a Match"
The Poem
Light a Match
The most curious thing about darkness
is that no matter how evil,
or cruel
or merciless it becomes,
somehow,
it cannot extinguish light.
So if you ever find yourself lost and afraid,
and can no longer see
any glimmers of hope,
remember
that a single act of kindness
is enough to light a match,
and sometimes,
that’s all the light you need
to make it through the night.
- Andrea Jacobsen Poetry
"Planting Kindness"
The Poem
Planting Kindness
In the end,
you can’t take anything with you,
but there’s no end to
the kindness
you can leave behind.
Moments like caring for the stranger
and giving the lonely child a home,
dropping a hot meal at the neighbor’s
and visiting the prisoner who’s forgotten and alone.
You see, a life freely given for others
is like a life of planting trees;
where there was once a desert
will one day stand a forest,
healing the very earth
long after the gardener
has passed on.
- Andrea Jacobsen Poetry
"Cake & Kindness"
The Poem
Cake & Kindness
We were never meant to
write the script of our lives,
as much as we like to believe
that if we simply worry and scheme and mull-over
all the possible terrors,
that somehow,
we will predict, or better yet,
protect against
all the unknowns of tomorrow.
But the only real control we have
is how we react to the life we are given,
and if I may suggest,
cake and kindness
are two choices
that are almost always
available to you.
- Andrea Jacobsen Poetry
A Note
from the Artist
Thank you for taking the time to experience Chapter 7, Spilling the Tea! This collection was inspired by the women who, in many ways, have made me who I am today. I hope that their words will be an inspiration to the hearts that need courage and a balm of healing to the hearts that are wounded. May we live lives filled with purpose, spurred on by the words of the women who have gone before us.
- Andrea Jacobsen
Before You Go...
I would love to hear from you! Leave me a note about your story and experience with “Spilling the Tea.”
All my love,
Andrea
