The electric diary | no. 32

Electric ({¡}) No. 32

Age: 57

What was your relationship like with your vulva before participating in this project?

I did not give it much thought. I had had lovers tell me it was very beautiful, but I did not understand why. Nor did I ask. In grad school, with some female friends, we started talking about our experiences and if we had looked at ourselves in the mirror “down there”, and my answer was no. Yet when I got home, I did get a mirror and took a look. I think girls and women are far less intune with their bodies than boys and men are. I was raised with the notion that it is dirty “down there” and you are not supposed to touch it.

What does pleasure feel like to you?

I love pleasuring myself! I mean I could go blind LOL. I love to orgasm and can have one after another and often do when I am pleasuring myself. Although I was taught not to touch myself, I rebelled and did so often from an early age.

Describe your experience with the Genital Electric project.

When taking pictures, I felt closer to myself. Since we need a mirror or photo to see what our vulva looks like, taking these photos gave me a new connection with myself. After the photos were taken, I felt a sense of empowerment to share this part of myself for this project. Being a part of this project was a way for me to express body positivity for myself. That is not always an easy thing to do. However, as strange as it may sound, as I have gotten older, I am generally more accepting of myself and my body.