sanctuary
love. loss. growth. and the art of becoming.
wheel throwing and activating sensual playfulness — kristen jeré
i turned my palms into little bowls, pouring handfuls of water on top of the clay to reduce its’ natural stickiness, to make it moldable and changeable. i’d press my pointer and middle fingers into the center of the clay to make a single hole that forms the basis of all ceramic creations. my left hand would serve as a guide, stabilizing the clay and giving it something to push into.
honoring our foremothers through revolutionary self care: leaning into softness — mariah maddox
black women have become the framework for strength, expected to carry the weight of this pitied world with grace. but in actuality, this has led to generational curses, tendencies, and patterns. this has taxed us to our very core.
creating a sensual self-care toolkit with afrosexology — kristen jeré
the founders, dalychia and rafaella, of the virtual and in real-life black sexual intimacy education space, afrosexology, are finding sensual self-care in everything from gut feelings and deep breathing to cinnamon rolls and roller skating.
removing the lens: moments of self-betrayal and living more boldly in my truth – faith
there are days that i forget that the only gaze that i should cater to is my own. but most days, i am hyper aware of my own brilliance. of my own light. of my own beauty. of the God within me. of my own power to make my life whatever i want it to be.
what is eroticism? — brianne patrice
there are many truths to be discovered about the erotic. it is breath, movement and joy. it is love, lust and desire. it is power and mystery; imagination and fantasy. it is collaboration through our minds, bodies, hearts and senses. and it is compassion, boundaries and self-prioritizing. the erotic (or eroticism) is the intricacy of our sensuality, sexuality and our human experience divinely coupled together, charging and powering one another so that we may live in cosmic flow.
01. about this issue — brianne patrice
when we release our trauma identity we are giving into the unknown. we allow ourselves to be more open and less triggered possessing the capability to self-soothe and self-advocate. we become more aware of our needs and the boundaries that we need to create.
celibacy was a radical destination in my healing journey— but far from the last stop — kristen jeré
three years later, i’m glad that i’ve been able to experience romantic relationships where i can be vulnerable and heal with partners. it’s not perfect, and after experiencing something as deeply traumatic and personal as rape, i realize that it’s never going to be.
realigning through pleasure, masturbation and self-exploration with jimanekia eborn — interview by brianne patrice
i didn’t think about it then but its been circling my mind how so many events have compromised my relationship to myself, my mind and my body. how growing up in a christian household prepared me for marriage before it prepared me for womanhood. how sexual violence contributed to me objectifying myself adding to my hyper-sexuality and this need to attach my confidence, my worth and my value to the number of men who wanted me instead of learning and knowing what it meant to love and want myself.