Thursday, March 24, 2011

My Naked Truth.

Yesterday, I did a very potent shoot with Jim Wilkinson of Edmonds. He has been accepted as an installation artist for the Seattle Erotic Art Festival, being helped May 20th-22nd. His project is called "Naked Truth: Exposing Men's/Women's Souls." The idea is that even when we are without clothes, we are not necessarily vulnerable. There is always something about ourselves that if we wore it on our skin for everyone to see, then we would be truly naked and vulnerable. Here is a small snippet from his casting call:

I'm looking for women who will be able to be vulnerable and honest as I paint your "message" on your body and then photograph you. There's a place in this work to express yourself in these very powerful (and sometimes playful) images.

Sounds easy, right? And it was, during the shoot. There were definitely a few moments when the weight of the words seemed to drag me down. The various expressions I wore were real and poignant, but not overwhelming. Later that evening, though, the full extent of what I had revealed to him couldn't be ignored. Those words are a hard truth; a painful truth I have been avoiding.

"I'm angry my daddy isn't my father."

There are so many layers to that statement. And they all are sad and painful right now. And as much as it's not pleasant, it's ok that I am feeling these things. I am trying to approach this the way I look at the Energy Pull Ritual: It was extremely valuable. Even though it wasn't fun and I didn't get to the state of ecstasy that was the goal- it was incredibly valuable. Knowing that I am still working through this shit is valuable. Grief can't be worked through if you ignore it. So, here I go. Hugs and head pets are most appreciated, if you can spare them.

In closing, this is a great project and a fun artist to work with. If you are interested in being a part of this installation and being truly naked at the Festival, give Jim an email.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

More than 140 characters?

Good lord, it's been a while since I wrote anything longer than what I could fit on a Twitter message.

This week is all about getting ready for KinkFest this weekend. Lecture notes are being updated, multi-media presentations are being created and shenanigans are in negotiations! Jim and I are teaching three classes together this year, with two of them being brand new.

Triage for Pick-up Play - Friday 3pm-4:30pm
       Or, how to negotiate & have a successful scene with someone you just met. We will teach you negotiation shortcuts to get you out into the play space faster; how to pick up on body language cues; and physical assessment skills to determine the right scene for 2 strangers to engage in. Basic communication skills will be demonstrated and practiced. Please come prepared to participate in verbal class exercises with strangers.  


Bondage for Sadists and Masochists - Sunday 10am-11:30am

Pain is usually our bodies’ way of telling us something is wrong.  It stimulates instinctual reactions to avoid, flee, recoil and get away. A lot of S/m play begins with a mastery of pain and how to manage it and let it become some juicy, delicious, endorphin producing elixir.  This workshop will be an effort to find the right types of pain for your scene and how to produce that with rope. We will talk about pain to avoid and pain to languish and wallow in. Ties that can cause endurance or gradual pain and those that will strike immediately.  Everyone should look forward to exploring their sadism and masochism in this class.




 Physics & Body Mechanics for Suspension Bondage - Sunday 3pm-4:30pm

            In this class, Jim & Sophia address and break down the necessary factors in the creation and execution of a successful suspension. We’ll look at basic body structure, focusing on using contours and strengths to an advantage while minimizing the stress placed on more fragile structures. We’ll show you how to work with gravity and use basic physics to get a body up into the air by working smarter, not harder, while minimizing physical harm to the bottom.


I'll also be assisting Jim in his Photography for Bondage" class, which is happening Saturday morning at 10am-11:30am. Go take a look at all the other workshops being offered, too. If you haven't signed up, and you want to go, today is the last day to register

Now, I have to deal with the most important task of all: packing! Deciding what to wear and what to bring along to a conference is always somewhat painful. The prospect of needing or wanting something that was left at home is quite undesirable. The tiara is coming, as well as the One Wilde Knight corset. Other than those, it's always so hard to know what I'll want to wear in advance.