“If sex and creativity are often seen by dictators as subversive activities it’s because they lead to the knowledge that you own your own body (and with it your own voice), and that’s the most revolutionary insight of all. – Erica Jong (EJ)
I stumbled across this quote the other day. The timing was very fitting as I had just taught a Sacred Sex Starts With Me Intro class and in a separate, very in-depth, conversation discussed how and why I use the expressive arts for exploring sacred sexuality. After spending hours reflecting and writing I realize I have taken another step in my struggle to express why the work I/others do is important.
I do not know her work or politics but taken on its own this quote rings very true; I wonder what Erica Jong would think of where her quote has lead me?
Revolutionary thinking has given us great ideas leading to revolutionary actions that have brought about great change. There are numerous examples in the histories of our communities, our countries, our world. There are still revolutionary actions today but they are perhaps better known as activism. We cannot become complacent. It will continue to take revolutionary thinking to bring more change in our world, to solve problems, to bring about community and global healing, to find peace and balance. Do you wonder if you can be a revolutionary thinker? If you can you incite change in the world?
If revolutionary changes come from revolutionary thinking, it starts with one person with one new insight.
“… knowledge that you own your own body (and with it your own voice), [is] the most revolutionary insight of all.” (EJ) I think this is just the beginning but what a great place to start, in fact a critical place to start and this insight comes simply from being sexual and creative. When insight is explored it leads to deeper understanding. If we consciously explore our sexuality and creativity (and I strongly recommend using one to explore the other) we can gain further insights. By knowing yourself, your needs, desires and wants, you can make positive change in your life. By making positive change in your life you inspire change in the lives around you, and as their lives change it ripples outward and the world changes too. So to embrace your creativity, and to embrace your sexuality, is to be a revolutionary thinker and to enact change in our world. It all starts with one insight. So yes you are a revolutionary thinker; you can incite change in our world. Odds are since you’re reading this blog you’ve had an insight and you are already making changes.
I regularly explore my sexuality and creativity and help others to do the same. It is both my privilege and my challenges that have brought me to this place in life and have made it possible for me to do what I do. The awareness that ‘I own my body’ came out of my life’s experiences and the things I lacked. Since the first realization, this insight has been explored in various ways; in recent years explored out of necessity related to my health circumstance.
Please know I am not saying the only thing we need to do is have sex and create, we cannot ignore what needs attention. But maybe if we continue to have healthy sex and create openly, while making space for others to do the same, everyone will have the opportunity to gain “the most revolutionary insight of all”(JM) that we own our bodies and our voice. There’s no telling where this can then lead: to further revolutionary thinking which incites revolutionary actions which brings change in our world. Imagine for a moment a world where everyone knows, with everything it entails, that they own their own (and only their own) body and voice. How much more peaceful the world we live in would be. You may think this my impossible dream but only if we try will we know. I will continue to create and have sex, to explore my creativity and sexuality, to change my thinking to change my life and to support others to do the same. Who knows? Maybe the impossible becomes possible.
