Throughout the year, as the seasons change and we welcome new feelings linked to the weather around us, we can channel our inspiration any variety of ways.
In the adult industry, there's a saying everyone knows, a truism, that “sex sells.” If we unpack that saying and look at it from different angles, it's fairly clear there's a lot more to it than two innocuous words.
Sex is profoundly optimistic, which is why it works so well with the concept of sales. Being sexy is a state of mind, deliberately projecting our confidence to encourage relationship-building, even if it's just for a quickie. We are, in effect, selling our life perspective via the interactions we have with the world around us.
Spring and autumn likewise have a lot in common with forecasting and optimism: in spring, we are all eager for the summer adventures ahead after long winter months, and in the fall we are inspired by the summer to get us through the winter and reach the spring. Then, like the petals of a flower, the cycle repeats.
How we adapt to each season, how we share experiences along the way with one another, through things like storytelling or memes on the Internet, affect us all. We all go through hardship, yet how we share what we learned from those lessons is what makes those experiences memorable: nobody needs a lesson about how responding negatively toward an already bad thing could somehow help anyone grow, heal, or make amends.
It's our choice whether to have a positive outlook, but the real challenge is how we convey our sentiment to others.
As adult performers, we have the choice: do we want to radiate an aura to push others away, in a desperate gesture to boost our own notoriety? Or would it be better to care about one another to lift each other up, to encourage a positive community for our fans, colleagues, or families?
I'm no saint, I've been critical of others from time to time. The point isn't to be “holier than thou” but to invite constructive criticism, since interacting with someone who constantly claims the moral high ground is as exasperating as it is with someone who thinks they're worthless, but I digress.
Along the Earth's equator, the seasons look very similar to outsiders. Trees there grow steadily throughout the year, and so an equator tree's age can't be known by counting rings since trunk rings result from the cycle between winter and summer. Does that mean there isn't a yearly cycle there? No, it just means counting rings won't tell us how many years those trees have lived through.
Industries work the same way, each part of each industry grows in cycles. Award ceremonies are one way to see how industries branch out, and our erotica industry is no exception. We can see how various categories evolve or adapt over time, as though they're a reflection of the changes in the larger cultural landscape, just like observing trees growing year after year.
New trends or ideas stem from the previous years' cycles, and reveal how we've matured as a community of businesspeople and consumers. It's all very organic and difficult to predict long-term, which is part of what makes it so exciting!
Simply being a candidate for an award can also be incredibly rewarding. Having been a candidate nominee for several awards already, I know how flattering a feeling it can be. However, as of the time of this writing, I've not yet won any award in the adult industry. So some might say “oh Julia how disappointing for you” or perhaps instead “Congratulations Ms Epiphany on earning your place at the table!”
Together we can shape the future of adult entertainment like a gardener might shape a bonsaï or redwood. The size of the tree is of negligible relevance, but instead how we nurture it is what matters. Some trees grow faster than others, some are more delicate, and yet others live for thousands of years.
The fruit of our labour is a thriving, self-sustaining community that fits like a puzzle piece with other adjacent industries like technology, medicine, athletics, finance, travel, and food. Sure, each has their own challenges and some are unlike other industries, certainly, but it would be emotionally hollow to describe any as “above” or “below” their neighbours.
Ultimately it's in our mutual best interest to find ways we can benefit from each other, and finding harmonious ways to grow together is what will sell sex for generations to come.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
This month's column is shorter
On purpose, for you…
