Thursday, May 7, 2020

Ten Years of Truth & Beauty

I've been reminiscing over the last month in anticipation of this blog's ten year anniversary. Can you believe it? I've been posting my thoughts (and a lot of my photography) on this blog for ten years, and it's still a regular fixture in my life. Then again, looking back at the first year of posts on this blog, I'm surprised at how early I was debating some of the very same issues that continue to plague me today (although it seems as though I really began to hit my stride around 2016) - such as the tenuous line between erotic photography and nudism, the inadequacy of cis-normative conceptions of sexual orientation, and the misrepresentation of voyeurism and exhibitionism. But does that mean I should hang up my hat, and call it a day? Surely, by now, I've said everything I have to say on these topics. Right?

Except that this blog serves as a therapeutic outlet for my tireless mental processes. And I enjoy writing for it. In ten years, I have posted a whopping 1,332 entries. Yet, that is a huge and intimidating barrier of entry for new readers. I wanted to compile a "top ten" or "best of" list to accompany this post, but even with a month's preparation, that would have required an inordinate amount of reading (and digestion) on my part. Still, I browsed through the archives, and tracked down some of my more memorable posts (numbering in the dozens), that I think are among the most insightful, or entertaining to read. I've split them into general categories for your convenience (with the understanding that a lot of these issues frequently overlap).

Art, Modeling, and Photography

The Principles of Exposure
Body Appeal (And Other Issues)

Nudism

My Life In Nudism
Spending a Day at a Nudist Resort

Voyeurism & Exhibitionism

The Illicit(?) Thrill of Nudity
Cost Benefits of Naked Exhibition
Sex-Positivity

The Gender Scale
Adventures of a Transgender MtF in Hicksville, USA
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Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Desensitization to Nudity

"...there is truly no reason for clothing in the comfort of our own homes, or outdoors on a beautiful sunny day."

I just came across a really great article that, if not for the images of nudity accompanying it (although I, personally, enjoy the images), I would be tempted to present to a general audience, to explain to those curious what makes nudism so appealing. I just have one comment about the discussion in the two paragraphs preceding the section subtitled "The Illusion of Shame".

Textiles often assume that regular exposure to nudity will either overtax or short-circuit their erotic response to the human body. In other words, they fear that they will either constantly be thinking of sex, or else that they will lose their ability to appreciate the sex appeal of nudity. The author of this article adequately addresses the former case, explaining that people frequently exposed to nudity tend to become desensitized to it. But in so doing, fails to recognize that he is contributing to the concerns of those at the other extreme.

Moreover, the author compounds the tenuousness of his position by making claims that would seem to support the "escalation model" of erotic conditioning - this specious idea that a person exposed to erotic triggers will need increasingly more extreme stimuli in order to get off, like an addict developing tolerance. Do people have a tendency to expand their erotic horizons, and seek novelty in sexual stimuli? Of course! But if this model were accurate, then it would only be a matter of time before all of us, with the proper exposure, would grow tired of the most extreme porn and completely burn out our libidos, becoming no longer capable of arousal - and this just isn't how human sexuality works. How else can you explain the fact that I've seen hardcore pornography, yet I still get excited every time I see a pretty girl, even when she's dressed? (Although, yes, any amount of exposed skin will enhance the experience).

"Simple nudity just doesn’t stay sexy for long"

It's true that people regularly exposed to nudity have a tendency to become desensitized to it. And that's a good thing - not being driven into a frenzy every time a bare breast enters your field of vision. But there is a middle ground between thinking about sex every time you see a naked person, and becoming incapable of finding a naked person sexy. The latter doesn't happen just because you've seen a lot of nudity. That wouldn't make sense, from an evolutionary perspective.

Take me, for example. I've been a nudist and a nude photographer for many years now. I surround myself with nudity, whether in person or online - and of both models and regular people - on a daily basis. Yes, it loses its novelty. And as I've said, that's a good thing. It's called maturity. But I still think nudity can be exciting. There's a reason I haven't given up on being a nude artist by now. Seeing a lot of naked bodies doesn't blind me or numb me to their beauty, or their potential for eroticism.
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