What’s something we often get wrong about sex work?

One thing a lot of people assume about sex work is that every single person in the industry is rich. This is wrong and also erases low income workers or survival sex workers, who are still very valid.

What’s something you’re currently working on that’s both super challenging and exciting?

I’m working on building my career in sex work. It’s challenging because I do all of the work on my own, but it’s super exciting for me to see my success.

I’m working on building a better life for myself. Self healing is always challenging but it’s super exciting to see the growth in yourself and your life.

What’s the best thing about being a Pisces?

The best thing about being a Pisces is being super emotional and in tune with your emotions. I’m not sure if that’s just a Pisces trait but it is one of the best things to happen to me.

I’m very sensitive and in tune with beautiful feelings in life. I’m very understanding and empathetic. I’m able to put myself in another’s shoes very easily. I’m mystical and flowy like water.

What’s something you’re working to unlearn?

I’m working to unlearn insecurity, shame, fear, self doubt, hating my body, hating my natural hair. I’m working to unlearn associating my own chubby body to not being beautiful.

I only feel this way in regards to myself and I would like to release this because I know it’s not truth. Rewiring your brain is possible, it just takes a lot of everyday practice.

Some days are easier than others.

No one else’s beauty and shine takes away from mine.

Bria Butterfly

Who do you go to when you’re needing support and guidance?

I go to my partner, my mom, my close friends. I appreciate and am super grateful for them always. I follow individuals on Twitter who are in tune with collective energy and seeing their tweets at times really benefit me. I pray and speak to the universe and my guardian angels.

When was the last time you practiced self-care and why is self-care important to you?

I practiced self care a couple days ago by taking myself to get a mani/pedi. It was relaxing and I enjoyed treating myself in this form of self care. I also have taken some time to reflect today on my life, my dreams, my behaviors and what causes me to be the way I am.

I’ve been healing a lot of heavy energy lately and I truly do consider self reflection a form of self care.

What’s something that’s been bringing you joy lately?

Sex work brings me a lot of joy when I’m doing well. Hanging out with my partner and my family brings me a lot of joy as well.

When was a time that self-doubt was at its worst for you while on your career and life journey?

I struggle with self doubt every single day. It’s something I struggle with quite badly actually but like I said previously some days are better than others!

Being in the adult industry is a struggle sometimes because it’s so easy to compare yourself but I always try to remember that I’ll always have clients that like me for me. No one else’s beauty and shine takes away from mine.

Who are a few amazing people that we should follow and why?

@SacredStrippers is amazing.. I love everything about this community. @afrosexology is amazing. Beautiful black images and sex positivity for everyone. Both of these pages are centered around healing.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone struggling with self-doubt and feeling like giving up on their dreams?

Steady progress is better than none at all. Be kind to yourself and do your best to focus on the bigger picture. Do things that will help you feel better and get you closer to your dreams.

Imagine that all your life’s work disappeared and you only had 1 minute to tell the world what you truly believe to be true. What would you say?

I would say that you should experience all of the different spectrums of life that you can while you’re alive. Love yourself, your life, and your people hard.

Connect with Bria

Bria Butterfly has been a part of the adult industry since she was 18 years old. 18 was when she first became a webcam model, since then sex work has been a passion of hers, and she is really excited to make her mark in the industry. Bria Butterfly is a natural lover and friend. Twitter. Website.

What are the origins of your Skin On Sundays project?

It was a quiet November afternoon in Barcelona. The year was 2015. I was smoking weed with a young rapper, discussing the universe and our places in it.

The young rapper asked me: “How are you going to get people to read your poetry.”

It had honestly never occurred to me that my poems would spread much further than my Facebook friends list, so that was an interesting question. In our visionary mental state, we began letting the ideas flow, and that’s when it arrived. I would write my poems on people’s skin.

Just like that, the idea was born, taking into account not only my passion for writing, but the world we live in full of instant gratification often beautiful visual media.

It took a little bit more brainstorming to bring it to life, but in less than a week, the first post was published.

Your work is so personal, your words, your photos. Yet every picture includes someone else and you have also collaborated with other artists and a doctor, addressing miscarriages. How do you collaborate in work that is so deeply personal?  

I was initially drawn to write poetry because of my curiosity and desire to explore and understand emotions. Couple that with my love for intimacy, with myself, with others, with ideas, and it’s easy to see how this project flows as a natural progression of that.  

I place extraordinary value on the deeply personal both in this project and in my life; I let myself become immersed. It’s just how I am. This project is so much about talking about experiences, both the light parts and the dark parts, in the form of physiopoetry, so I go in prepared to hear whatever people want to share with me, prepared to get emotional, even.

Sometimes, I’m left in tears. I invite the deeply personal into my work because the closer I can get to the root of what we’re looking to share in the physiopoem, the more impactful the final result will be. I want people who see Skin on Sundays to feel connected, so it’s important to go into the process with an open mind and heart.

What do we get wrong when we talk about bodies?

There are some implied “shoulds” when we talk about bodies. How we should look. How we should dress. I don’t think this is healthy. So much is about selling, so there’s no question as to why these bodily shoulds exist.

They work to enhance consumerism.

But then it spreads, and people who aren’t even selling things make it their personal goal to tell people how to look and dress. Even our own egos reward us for judging others, sadly. That’s probably the most unfortunate part about what we get wrong when we talk about bodies. We become bullies, sometimes under the guise of “caring.”

For instance, people say, being overweight isn’t healthy, as if it’s their job to police other people’s health, often strangers at that. Unsolicited advice is generally unwelcome, and I find it even more unwelcome when we’re talking about others’ bodies.

Our bodies are our homes, so it’s natural to take it personally and to feel profoundly impacted when others talk about them. It would be helpful if everyone could remember that before making comments.

Another thing we get wrong is that nudity and sexuality are one in the same. They’re not, and it’s only because we’ve been trained by society to feel sexual when we see a naked body that so many people can’t separate them.

The “training” is largely in the form of withholding. Nudity, even women’s nipples, are considered too obscene for social media platforms, regardless of whether or not it’s art. But nudity does not necessarily have anything to do with sex. Sex is just one of the things a naked body does. It can also just exist, and it can be beautiful without creating arousal.

What do you love about photography?

Before Skin on Sundays, my contribution to the art world rested solely in my words. Now, I have become a photographer of sorts. I love how photos can express emotions, and I’ve become particularly attracted to portrait-ish photos that work with all the ways to move and bend a body, photos that bring in other (perhaps strange) objects to create something truly emotive in the juxtaposition.

I also love how the photography I do for this project creates a connection between myself and the canvas, because it has to happen in person. I’m not just adding words to a body digitally on a screen. It happens in person, we interact with one another in the same physical space, creating an energy that helps the physiopoem comes to life.

What’s something you’re currently working on that’s both super challenging and exciting?

My poetry coloring book Seasons of Yourself is coming out this month, and that has been a long process. I can’t draw, so I collaborated with another artist who drew my poems, but man do things go a lot slower when you’re not working alone.

That’s just the way it is.

That delay was challenging for me, not to mention publisher delays and having to reschedule and re-plan the release of the book. I know these delays are all very normal, but I had to take a lot of deep breaths. That being said, this book is so special to me because a fantastic artist, Claudia Sahuquillo, drew my poems, dug her way around inside of them and translated them into actual images. And now it’s all coming out in a book, the poems alongside the drawings that people will be able to color. Who wouldn’t be excited about that?

What’s something you’re working to unlearn?

I am an emotional person. One of the emotions that can get the better of me is frustration/anger. It makes me scream, cry, growl, and sometimes say things I don’t mean. It’s been a lifelong process unlearning how to deal with my anger.

When I was growing up, I dealt with it in that screaming/crying/growling/mean-talking way I mentioned earlier, so I really do have to unlearn those behaviors.. Sometimes I’m better at it and sometimes I’m worse, depending on my mental state at the time.

The goal is to always deal with anger with an innate calmness and collectedness, regardless of the amount of stress I might have already going on.

When was the last time you practiced self-care and why is self-care important to you?

Self-care has kind of become built into my life. Leisure and relaxation are necessary to me, and I really don’t function well or feel happy if there is too little of those things in my life. We live in this workaholic world, but I don’t buy into it.

It’s not for me.

I work hard, and I also chill hard. Without the chilling, my work isn’t even as good, as I’ve found out. I need that space to allow my creativity to flourish and think properly.

My most recent deliberate act of self-care was leaving Mexico City for a weekend to a small town where it’s summer year round. Just relaxing in a garden for a few days surrounded by tropical fruit trees and silence was divine.

What’s something that’s been bringing you joy lately?

Recently, I realized I’ve gotten over this photography plateau I’d been sitting on for awhile, where I felt the creativity in my Skin on Sundays photos was not growing. My solution was to seek out photography that inspired me and force myself to do more than just enjoy it.

I started analyzing why I liked it, and applying those principles into my own work. Now I’m starting to see my own photos stand out more than they have before.

Working hard and seeing the work pay off in my photography is bringing me loads of joy.

What’s something that’s been pissing you off lately?

The holiday season has this pressure associated with it, and with December just passing, I was feeling this sense of obligation to do things I didn’t want to do just because other people wanted me to.

Using guilt to try to get people to do something is an ugly kind of manipulation that society just sort of accepts for some reason. I don’t accept it, and it does not and will never work on me.

I work hard, and I also chill hard. Without the chilling, my work isn’t even as good, as I’ve found out. I need that space to allow my creativity to flourish and think properly.

Jessica Lakritz

When was a time that self-doubt was at its worst for you while on your career and life journey?

Dedicating so much of my life to poetry and art can be hard on the psyche, because the process of “making it” often comes with financial struggle. I had a breakdown a couple years ago because I was so broke and I thought maybe everything I was doing was pointless.

I began thinking my art wasn’t any good because it wasn’t making any money. That’s what the world so often teaches us, and try as I might to ignore it (because I know so many factors are involved in financial success, not just talent), it seeps in and can really damage my self-worth at times. I’m happy to say I talked myself out of it, but I was seriously considering giving up and disappearing from the world of art.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone struggling with self-doubt and feeling like giving up on their dreams?

All of our emotions come and go. That’s the nature of them. Self-doubt is no different. If you can remember that while you’re going through a bout of self-doubt, it will be easier to not only deal with, but probably faster to get out of it too. Just know that self-doubt, too, will pass. And when it does, you can get back to your regularly scheduled dream-fulfilling.

It’s years in the future. You’re on stage to accept an award for your life’s work.  What’s your five word acceptance speech?

Poetry is everywhere. Just look.

Connect with Jessica

Jessica Lakritz is a writer and artist based in Mexico City. She is the creator of the multimedia physiopoetry project Skin on Sundays, where she uses the human body as a canvas for her words. Jessica loves the sea, hammocks, strangers, her dog Luna, and not taking herself too seriously. Instagram. Website.

What does body positivity mean to you?

To me, body positivity is loving your vessel fully for what it is. It is easy to get carried away and discouraged by societal body image. Body positivity is not only about loving yourself from head to toe, but about being kind to yourself and making a constant effort to speak lovingly and positively to yourself.

Have you always wanted to be a model? How did that deam transpire?

I have ALWAYS desired to inspire and impact the world in a large scale. I have always loved music, art, creativity, writing, dance, painting, pretty much anything that allows me to use my creativity.

Due to the many many years of self doubt, low self esteem, and insecurity, I didn’t even think modeling was something I could ever do. When I started my self love journey, I was inspired to share my results and confidence publicly.

I started to work closely with myself to become a better version of myself. I was deathly afraid of my body. I couldn’t even change in front of people. Through stepping out of my comfort zone constantly and becoming braver day by day, I slowly but surely built up the courage to do my first photo shoot.

The experience was INCREDIBLE and so empowering. I was so nervous the day before that I was going to cancel the shoot but I forced myself to do it anyway and it kick started my career as a model. I fell in love!

When was the last time you practiced self-care and why is self-care important to you?

Today. I practice self care EVERY DAY. Through small actions and sometimes bigger actions. Self-care is so important for my mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health.

I neglected my self-care for such a long time because I put everything and everyone before me. Self-care is how I show myself that I truly care about me.

What’s something you’re currently working on that’s both super challenging and exciting?

Being an entrepreneur is extremely challenging and every journey I embark on is equally exciting and challenging. At the moment my career is growing in every aspect but I specifically want to see my music and modeling career skyrocket. I aspire to host seminars and do a lot more paid photoshoots as a freelance model.

What’s something you wish you could say to your 16 year old self?

You are loved. God loves you. You are not alone. Never have been, never will be. At this age, I was at my lowest. Struggling with eating disorders and substance abuse. I had almost thrown my entire life away and God saved me time and time again. Knowing what I know now, I would have used my shortcomings in the way I do now, then.

What’s something you’re working to unlearn?

Limitation. We are conditioned to believe that we cannot accomplish certain things. It has taken years to decondition any limiting beliefs about myself and it is still a daily struggle. I am constantly trying to unlearn that we can’t ALL be extremely successful.

Who do you go to when you’re needing support and guidance?

God first always through prayer and meditation. My mom, my best friends and closest family members.

What’s one challenge you face in your work that you’re still working on navigating?

Keeping my authenticity. In the industry I am in along with many other industries you are expected to fit a mold. My goal is to break those molds and stay forever true to myself, but it definitely is a challenge.

When was the last time you practiced self-care and why is self-care important to you?

Today. I practice self care EVERY DAY. Through small actions and sometimes bigger actions. Self-care is so important for my mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health.

I neglected my self-care for such a long time because I put everything and everyone before me. Self-care is how I show myself that I truly care about me.

You were made perfectly and have been given everything perfectly in your favor, even the obstacles.

Ashley Pena

What’s something that’s been bringing you joy lately?

Life itself. Travel, family, the many little beautiful moments filled with love and laughter.

What’s something that’s been pissing you off lately?

The people that want to stay in your life even after they have mistreated you, and you have made it clear you don’t want to keep them around any more.

When was a time that self-doubt was at its worst for you while on your career and life journey?

The moments where I worked extremely hard and no matter my efforts, I found myself with a bank account that didn’t reflect it made me doubt myself and my ability to obtain and maintain success heavily. Not being able to provide for my family crushed me and gave me moments on not believing in myself.

What are your unshakable values and when did you become clear on them?

Put God first. Love and respect yourself and those around you. Love yourself and others unconditionally. Be true to yourself no matter what you are offered. I became clear on these values throughout my self love journey and over the past three years live by them religiously.

Who are a few amazing people that we should follow and why?

• @jessananda_
• @loraleibayette
• @itsjust_kels

These women are so inspiring and their stories are incredibly powerful. They inspire me every day.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone struggling with self-doubt and feeling like giving up on their dreams?

We all struggle with this, you are not alone. We have all been taught and conditioned to doubt our potential but with God’s guidance and unconditional love, there is nothing, NOTHING, you cannot do.

You were made perfectly and have been given everything perfectly in your favor, even the obstacles. Appreciate them and force focus on how magnificent you truly are and were meant to be.

It’s years in the future. You’re on stage to accept an award for your life’s work.  What’s your five word acceptance speech?

Nothing is impossible with God.

Imagine that all your life’s work disappeared and you only had 1 minute to tell the world what you truly believe to be true. What would you say?

The truth is, we are all here to experience all of it. Love, hate, joy, sadness, anger, peace, freedom, sweet, sour, hot and cold.

We do not have to do anything more or less than that. We are spiritual beings living in a physical body to experience. So, experience.

Learn more about Ashley + connect!

Ashley Pena is a 23 year old, Puerto Rican/Dominican self love influencer, model, and mind body soul life coach born and raised in Miami. She packed her car and drove across the United States to California to pursue her dreams, find and follow her true purpose. Through taking many leaps of faith, she beat statistics, broke molds, and transforms lives on the daily. Instagram. Twitter.

Dear Brothers,

I won’t begin to assume what you’re going through, for there’s a spectrum of Blackness and man-ness and person-hood that exist, but I just had to write this as I sit in the delivery room hours before the arrival of our firstborn child.

I’m mostly writing to connect, reach out, and encourage.

To let you know that you’re not alone, and to remind myself that I’m not alone.

See, there’s this perception that a lot of black men aren’t there for their children. That a lot of us are either dying, killing, being killed, imprisoned. But, we know the truth: we’re not a monolith and a lot of us are here for our children, our families, our communities, our world.

Some of us are graduating from college. Some of us are owning businesses. Some of us are the best gamers, chefs, delivery men this world has ever seen. And some of us are struggling to get out of bed because of ancestral pain and trauma.

We come in so many shapes, sizes, belief systems, and lived experiences, but there are some things that connect us:

• Many of us will have the talk with our child, especially our sons. We’ll let them know how different they are and what to do when they’re pulled over and how they’ll feel the need to be two steps ahead of their peers.
• Many of us have experienced some type of othering in our lifetime. Personally, I was called too white and not black enough as a child. That’s part of what led to the self-hate I’ve been working to unlearn in my 30s.
• Many of us had fathers or father figures who were really really tough on us. Who hit us, or swore at us, or made us feel like we were worthless in order to help us survive a cold world. They inherited much of that from their fathers and so on. If this is your story, you may often find ourselves at the crossroads of restoration and resentment.

And many of us are trying to figure out what type of dads we’ll be, and we’re doing everything we can to break generational patters and curses, and do better.

I know I am.

For we are enough and we’re exactly where we need to be: in the life of someone who we mean the world to, before we even utter a word.

Sinclair P. Ceasar III, First Time Black Father

I feel the pressure to do well with this baby that will come any hour now. With this black baby that will live in a world that often weaponizes, sexualizes, brutalizes their body (see Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates).

A world that doesn’t understand what it means to “always be thinking about race” or to “often be wondering if we’re code switching or actually saying the right thing for the moment”.

I will make an assumption now.

I assume that some of you are reading this and going, “Oh, no. This author clearly isn’t in touch with his true self and his roots. He needs to read up on his history and learn.” And you’d be correct. I have a lot to learn and ways to go, and also, I’m right where I should be — that’s a big takeaway I hope most new dads have from this letter.

We are exactly where we need to be.

We are ready as we are to be stewards of this new life form that is before us.

Who can say what a whole, sound, and perfect black man looks like? I’m sure someone can, but what matters most to me is being a father — a parent — who shows up every single day to his child.

As someone was raised by resilient and loving grandparents with middle school educations, one of the best things they did for me was be present.

Present to invite me to sleep on their bedroom floor when thunderstorms rolled through. Present for the tears I cried after bullies had their way. Present for the times my hands couldn’t stop shaking after my own father stopped by to berate and abuse.

Presence.

That’s what’s required, dear brothers. And if you can, some grace, love, and patience.

Grace is the space we hold for someone to be imperfect and unfinished. Love is the acceptance and validation we fill that space with. And patience is what we give ourselves to do better at the former at the latter.

My heart both panics and smiles as I think of holding my newborn child.

What will become of them, what will they dream of, will I be enough for them, will we succeed in keeping them safe?

What will they accomplish?

How will I ruin them?

How will I help them thrive?

And so, I find myself overwhelmed with favorable and unfavorable outcomes, and it’s imperative for me to give myself the same grace, love, and patience my child will require. The same you require. The same we all are so desperately needing as we parent, teach, lead, and guide.

For we are enough and we’re exactly where we need to be: in the life of someone who we mean the world to, before we even utter a word.

You are a multipotentialite, a Photographer, Videographer, Director, Shameless Smut Peddler of Shameless Smut & Unabashed Sexplorer. Have you always been unabashed about your sexploration? How have you been able to be so transparent?

I have not! I spent too many years in a vicious cycle of shame, self doubt and guilt. As I slowly allowed myself to explore and accept my sexuality, both as a queer and as a gender nonconforming person, my view of myself as both a human with value and an empowered sexual individual improved exponentially.

Nowadays I try to live my life with as little shame as possible, and I work so hard to be as ethical and transparent as I can while I’m at it.

What do we get wrong when talking about consent?

We assume that consent is a cut and dry, black and white concept. Consent, or the lack thereof, is often a messy gray area that requires more negotiation than just a simple “yes” or “no”.  

Sometimes people give consent for things that they aren’t actually fully comfortable consenting to – whether it be because of financial, social, political or any other menagerie of self-induced (or not) pressure. I’ve had a lot of discussions recently about the concept of “Fight, Fight, Flee, or Fawn” – it’s a lot to cover here but definitely worth looking into if you’re up for falling into a rabbit hole of complicated consent politics!

What do we get wrong when talking about sexuality?

That sexuality, like consent, is a cut and dry concept. As someone who is very sexually fluid I definitely am hyper-aware of this concept. Sexuality is a spectrum, and people can fall and fluctuate anywhere on it at any given day.

What do you love about photography?

I love being able to create a tangible example of how I see the world in a way that I can share with others. I love being able to show people how I see things because I’m terrible at explaining it.

What’s something you’re currently working on that’s both super challenging and exciting?

Over the last year I’ve begun directing scenes for a popular gay site, and while I love taking on additional responsibility the pressure to deliver a product that is consistently up to my quality standards is super tough!

I’ve been getting an amazing response from my viewer base though and I love being able to have so much creative control in a setting where I can make content that both me and my models feel good about!

What’s something you wish you could say to your 16 year old self?

When I was sixteen I was struggling with my sexuality and gender identity, as well as self harm and depression issues. If I could tell myself anything, it would be to please keep going because I promise it will get better.

Who do you go to when you’re needing support and guidance?

I am so fortunate to have a close-knit, reliable support system. It took me a long time to assemble, but has been an absolute life saver – especially in the last year. My parents have also been indispensable in my personal growth and success in the last several years, and I owe so much of my success to them.

When was the last time you practiced self-care and why is self-care important to you?

Before I left for the trip I’m on now,  I made sure I took a good day for myself! I’m definitely a creature of habit, so I did what I usually do – a bath in the morning, a trip with my dog to get a healthy snack which we then take to the park and enjoy in the sun, followed by a trip to the pet store to pick up fresh treats, and then we head back to the house to curl up on the couch and binge watch horror movies!

What’s something that’s been bringing you joy lately?

Knowing that the boys I get to work with feel safe, comfortable, empowered and happy with the work we are doing!

What’s something that’s been pissing you off lately?

Constantly feeling like I’m at the whim of a society run by cisgender white men.

What are your unshakable values and when did you become clear on them?

I am committed to being as ethical as I possibly can. I’ve been aware of my ethics for as long as I can remember, and am constantly working hard to be mindful and aware of both my privilege and my ability to use that privilege to enact positive change for everyone.

It’s years in the future. You’re on stage to accept an award for your life’s work.  What’s your five word acceptance speech?

Shit happens. Never give up.

Who are a few amazing people that we should follow and why?

I am constantly in awe of all the amazing babes doing cool ass shit all over the internet.

Here’s a couple of my faves, and their Instagram handles:

Jay Austin – @jasegrimm
Colton James – @coltonjamesart
Noelia Towers – @noeliatowers
Mia Little – @alittleedutainment
Jetti Lewis – @jettilalewis
Tuesday Bassen – @tuesdaybassen

What’s in the space between where you are and were you want to be? So much. But hopefully I’ll be able to overcome all of it if I can stay dedicated, motivated and true to myself.

Learn more about Isabel + connect.

Isabel Dresler is an award winning genderfluid queer director and cameraperson/tortured artist based in Las Vegas. They spend most of their time traversing the west coast creating elevated smut for various gay porn sites and individual performers, and constantly strives to create the most ethical, authentic, unique content they can. When not spelunking into people’s orifices with a camera, Isabel can be found binge watching horror movies with their dog, wallflowering at gay leather bars or getting lost in the wilderness. Instagram. Twitter. Website.