Eroticon Swag

First, my Sinful Sunday full of the Eroticon Swag I picked up. I couldn’t get a photo that showed everything, but you get the idea!

For more Sinful Sunday, click the kiss!

I had the most beautiful time at Eroticon. It was such an incredible experience that I’ve had a hard time putting it into words. Below are just a few observations, in no particular order.

• No particular order except this first thought, which is: Molly and Michael and Girl on the Net are even more warm and kind and lovely than you imagine. AND, they pulled together the conference beautifully. The venue was great. The sessions were great. The social stuff was great. Truly, it was a really, really fantastic event. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting it all together and for being so welcoming.
• The first session I attended was Meg John Barker’s talk: Auto (erotic) ethnography: Learning about ourselves through our erotica.  It was interactive, with lots of thinking about ourselves and our experiences and discussing those ideas with the people around us. I was nervous about interacting with people, what I would say, etc. Luckily I was sitting next to Val Prozorova who was completely charming and lovely and immediately put me at ease. We had a few more conversations over the day and while I hadn’t originally planned on attending his Fanfiction and the power of shared erotica session, because it’s not a world I knew much about, I did and it was fantastic! I’m excited to have a new world of writing to explore, as well as a few new shows to watch. Speaking of Val, he did a reading at the erotic readings session on Sunday that was so beautiful and so poignant, I still get chills when I think about it. It’s in the Identity: An Erotic Anthology book, so I urge you to read it.

• Speaking of the Sunday readings, they were wonderful! Hot and sweet and hilarious and heartbreaking. A beautiful selection.

•  I was secretly disappointed that I wasn’t naturally better at braiding my @kinkcraft collar. As a girl who likes to think she is inherently great at anything crafty, it took me a few tries to get it right but the Kink Craft team were very patient and very helpful.

• Slumber parties are the best! Going back to @exposing40’s home with @TabithaErotica after each Eroticon night and having cheese and fizz and tea (for me, because I am an embarrassing lightweight when it comes to fizz) and chatting about boys and work and relationships was a true highlight of my week. There was something special and freeing bout spending time with people who know me *and* Maria. In learning about what makes them tick, and realizing why we click, what we have in common, etc.
• I had the loveliest chat with the proprietor of Ceramic Pleasure at his booth. He shared with me a little about his journey to the creation of his beautiful works of art and reminded me of the importance of art and creating in our lives. And the power art has to heal and to help us become who we truly are. (A lesson that was proven over and over again in talking to people across the weekend).
• I also learned about how Hot Octopuss’s Pulse is used by men with erectile issues to help them out. My father has been dealing with prostate cancer for many years and this was encouraging to me. Now I just have to think about how to share this technology with him without him knowing I’m thinking about him and my mom having sex. Because that would make no one comfortable, especially him. Maybe an anonymous package in the mail?

• Tabitha Rayne and John Benge’s Life Drawing session on Saturday was brilliant. John’s poses illustrated an emotionally powerful story told in four still scenes. It was a reminder to me of how much I love life drawing and how dreadfully out of practice I am. An inspiration to be sure.

• Saturday, after the sessions, I walked along Regent’s Canal with Tabitha, E40 and @19syllables. As we got closer to our destination we ran across Word on the Water, a magical little floating bookshop. The proprietor had a little top had and a beard and welcomed us aboard with open arms, the smell of toasting croissants, and hundreds of books! It really did feel like the place magically appeared just so we could see it, like Brigadoon, or something. As we browsed his wares, he told us a story and I have a new life gaol: Own bookshop boat, be happy.
• Rubyyy Jones is gorgeous and hilarious and altogether AMAZING.

Over the course of the weekend, I met so many wonderful people. People that I knew from Twitter and new people I now plan to keep in touch with. It was sort of like the best summer camp ever. There were crafts and outings and new friends and amazing learning experiences. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few amazing things (my punishment for not writing this immediately after I got home.) I had such a wonderful time, I’m going to do what I can to go back again next year.