Hey lovelies,
I had an interesting discussion with a retired sociology major on Facebook messenger this morning. Our conversation began with my standard message response “Sorry, I don’t chat.” He asked me why I have 1,695 Facebook friends but don’t chat with them or get to know them. I began telling to him that I am inundated with spam, demeaning comments, and pornographic images and videos (I have always boycotted porn) so I am very hesitant when it comes to communicating with random people online.
Our conversation was interesting and brings me to this blog post. During our discussion, he politely asked me if it was possible that the phrase “Get Naked With Joy” gives men the wrong idea. Before I answer that question here in this post, let’s look at the meaning of the word naked:
With this in mind, when I say, “Get naked with Joy” I am here baring my body and my soul to the world in an authentic and non-sexual manner. The overwhelmingly positive emails, messages, and comments of support I have received recently continue to inspire me and fortunately for me, they outweigh the undesirable ones.
You do not have to “get naked” with me to read my blog. You do not even have to agree with social nudity, naturism, or the benefits of earthing. I am not here to make a political statement or change your point of view. At the same time, I will not allow the small percentage of the world that thinks nudity = sexual to taint my journey. Being naked is natural and liberating for me but that is just my two cents.
I hope you are having a truly beautiful day!
From my heart to yours,
Joy
Photo: I am sharing this live photo today because it was captured by my photographer as I was climbing down from the Gary Oak tree we had been shooting on. It is a candid moment that to me, speaks to the pure bliss I feel while I am naked in nature. To see the GIF in motion please head to my Twitter account.
Anyone who tries to separate nudity from sexuality is being silly. We spent millions of years evolving so as to display our sexual maturity and fertility and potential as a mate to one another. This display helps us NOT to be attracted to those who are NOT suitable mates, like the very young. How else could it be? Does not every other species do the same thing?
The person who insists that nudity MUST be sexual is probably farther from the mark, though. Even the most shallow examination of those few remaining cultures where clothing is not a requirement shows us this is not so. The amount of sexual arousal within our species is constant, regardless of the typical state of dress. Piling on clothing just makes us hyper-sensitive to what few signals remain
It is the exception we find arousing, not the rule. If nudity is the exception, then nudity in and of itself will be arousing. If it is unexceptional, then the sexual signals we evolved to send become part of the background and assume their natural place in the courtship of the species.
DJ you ask some very good questions. Joy will no doubt respond with her answers, but I thought I might shed some light. Sensual involves the senses: taste, touch, hearing, sight, smell. The sensors communicate to our brain where we form perceptions. Based on things like experience, we utilize association to assist in that perception. So the touch of a friend or a handshake coupled with the sight of a smile triggers warm response via dopamine release, whereas the uninvited grasp of a stranger coupled with a frown or grimace provokes fear. Nudity brings the feeling of air, temperature, etc on areas of the body that are otherwise covered in restrictive garments. The association with the unexpected and/or taboo adds a level of pleasure and/or excitement.
Certainly the sensual precedes consensual sex, but sexual acts are not necessary at all for sensual experience. I’d add that it gets confusing as sensual is more often used in a pleasant, romantic or even sexual context, but it can be violent, such as a ship’s pilot battling waves and wind to keep his vessel afloat and on course. Hope this helps. Joy, I hope I didn’t ‘steal your thunder’, but I’m sure you will have a unique reply. Cheers to you both!
Thank you! My thunder cannot be stolen no worries at all. Part of the reason I write this blog is to develop an online community where people share their perspectives on these topics. -Joy
Much love to you as well! 😘
And then, there are people who think everything is sexuality, and search for pureness and authenticity in that space 🙂
So true…
Well, not sure about this one. Watching you naked is also nice and pleasurable for me as a man, and it seems as if you are enjoying it as well. Which I in turn enjoy…. 🙂
Which is all fine but there is an element of pleasure and excitement to it, isn’t there? Which is also fine, nothing wrong with that, but it is not entirely the a-sexual “nude is natural” view.
Important is the respect and the space we provide each other. As long as it is respectful and consentual, it can be nice and exciting to watch each other naked. Revealing, honest, pure. This of course excludes unsolicited presentations.
<3
For me, being naked in nature is not about arousal or sexual pleasure. It is actually difficult to describe with words what it does for my spirit. The term Rewild has a lot of meaning associated with it but for me, rewilding is what I am doing when I out on these adventures. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. They say that art can have many interpretations, so in essence, each person who views a piece of art can interpret it in a way that works for them.
For me, being nude is non-sexual. As in, it does not bring about sexual feelings or arousal in me. My mother was just telling a friend of mine how it was almost impossible to keep clothes on me when I was a child…she has not seen my blog, lol. Or maybe she has and she just hasn’t told me. But my point is that I have always enjoyed the freedom of being nude. Even before I was an activated sexual being…
Interesting, thank you! Thanks also for the twitter link, I just created my first account and follow you! 🙂
For me, this is different though. Nudity wasn’t natural when I was a child, it was exciting, secret, forbidden. There is excitement attached to it, pleasure, and also freedom, space, limitlessness. The literal freedom of the air on my skin, the freedom of not hiding under cloth. But it also makes contact much more intens when with somebody. The fact that somebody can see me, or that I can see a person without hiding and faking. There is a lot attached to it, so for me it is not “natural” in that sense. Interesting to explore!
<3 (my hearts won't work, but I send them anyway.)
The interesting thing for me is that my mom was very conservative and scolded me for being naked. I think a lot of it was about what others would think about her as a mother rather than her own issue with my nudity.
On the other hand, my adopted dad was a nudist and photographer. According to my lifelong best friend who is a few years older than me and can remember more about our childhood experiences, my dad scolded me when I seemed fearful or ashamed of being naked.
I launched this blog on January 1st. Before that, I was not comfortable having nude photos taken and I was certainly not comfortable sharing my naked photos with the world.
But here I am baring my body and soul…
<3
Cannot reply to your last reply so I reply here. So why the sudden change? Seems like most in our generation have been brought up this way, and most will stay this way and bring up their children again in the same way. What made you change? Isn’t there an element of exposure in it? 🙂
Forgive me if I ask too much, no need to answer. Maybe I should also try on my new twitter account, haha
<3
<3
My children have been brought up to express themselves, find their voices, and be liberated in whatever way they feel inspired to as long as it is healthy and makes them feel empowered…
As for my own personal change, it’s not so much a “change” it is more of a coming home to myself…
We often confuse sensual with sexual. Seeing the nude human form is as sensual as tasting a strawberry, smelling a perfume, touching someone or hearing the song of a bird. Reading Joy’s stories, I can identify with the pleasures of my own experience; seeing nature while nude in it; smelling the forest, touching flora, hearing nature, tasting spring water. It is a feast for the senses while not at all sexual. As Joy has said, nudity creates an environment that facilitates intimacy; you get to know the person stripped of pretense, vulnerable and open. It can be very exciting, that is, sensual, without being the least bit sexual.
Beautifully spoken! ❤️
Forgive me for asking, but do you want to say that sensual is alright, but sexual isn’t? Or that nudity ‘should’ only be connected to sensual, and ‘should not’ be connected with sexual? Where exactly is the difference between sensual and sexual? Doesn’t sensual precede sexual? Is there consentual sexual without sensual? Just curious…
I am writing a blog post response
There’s an ancient verse that essentially says: To the innocent, all things are pure, but to the corrupt, all things are corrupt/polluted. There’s a lot of truth to that.. our society has corrupted both nudity and sex, and corrupted the innocence of both. Nothing in “Get naked with Joy” suggests sex, in either meaning (with you, Joy, or with the emotion, Joy). I personally love the double meaning. A sociologist is trained to question things, so I don’t fault him for asking, but my response would be, the title is not sending the wrong message just as wearing/not wearing clothes is not an invitation to sex; it is rather the mental state of the reader that infers the wrong message if such occurs. Society may be confused, but that is due to conditioned shame towards the naked body in general.
I could not agree more. There is currently a lot of media coverage about consent, rape culture, and the #metoo campaign. Without meaning to I have become a participant in that conversation. What I am deeply grateful for today is receiving wisdom and beautiful expression from multiple men who are speaking from a place of beauty and mutual respect. Thank you from my heart to yours, Joy
Joy, you know my sensibilities and I can feel you when you speak to the personal liberation you feel and as well as being one with nature. I also think your nudity encourages your naked honesty (pun intended), your vulnerable feelings, and the sharing of your inner most thoughts. I also think that man battles his nature, his primal nature. In the very beginning man was a hunter, that was his nature. Hunters are visual, the see, they decide if the hunt is worth it. The same nature of man is how he views his woman, visually. I’ve a deep seeded belief that men are not complex beings but simple beings. Women are complex emotional warriors. They give life, the nurture life, they protect life… and they do one other amazing thing… they inspire men to be better. Kingdoms have been fought over the love of a woman. Men have built empires to impress women. The difference of today’s modern world from the ancient past is some men have evolved to understand the complexities of women, sadly some have not. Those who have are grateful for how you choose to live your life, they follow your journey because they are truly interested in knowing all of the facets of Joy. They view your nude body as art, as an expression, as an enlightenment to what is possible. Those who make the crude, sexual, pornographic comments haven’t learned to grow, mature, to become complex. They are still one dimensional hunting easy prey. They are lost. I shall always appreciate each day we speak… with words or without. We learn from each other, and you inspire me to become better each and every day
Awe. Such deep and honest sharing. Makes my heart sing. Thank you from my heart to yours. ❤️
I’ve been only following your blog for a short time, but never derived anything remotely pornographic. I do share nude photos of me as well, but mainly to show that I don’t care if I’m clothed or unclothed, I’m the same person.
Thanks for the honest feedback, I am also the same person with or without clothing on. Nice point.