Sunday, January 6, 2008

Enjoying Erotica Together

Sexual material intended to arouse, titillate, educate and inspire has been around since the dawn of human history. Until recently, erotica has been primarily the prized possession of only the wealthy or ruling classes. Throughout the ages, paintings, sculptures and literary works of art have depicted our sexual nature in all its forms. From romantic and beautiful to mysterious and fanciful to nasty and depraved, great pieces of artwork have the power to trigger strong emotions and stimulate our imagination. How you perceive and react to this erotic material is a reflection of your self and your own secret desires and fears.

Openly sharing your thoughts, feelings and desires with your lover can be more intimate than sex itself. It is a delicate subject. It may even be intimidating to face your own thoughts and feelings. But, with a playful attitude, various types of erotica can be used to introduce and explore many diverse sexual topics with your lover. Erotic literature and art can be a valuable source for new ideas to enhance your sexual enjoyment together. There are various genres of erotica to suite your personal preference, stimulate specific desires or satisfy a certain need:
  • Randy Readers: Erotic romance novels and short stories for women are becoming extremely popular for both sexes. The Black Lace series, for example, are very well written and their popularity is encouraging more. Although reading is generally a solitary activity, sharing snippets of the storyline can be enough to draw your lover into the fantasy with you. Short erotic stories for couples are also available that can be read out loud to each other. Collections of sexual fantasies are available to inspire your own or reassure yourself that others have similar thoughts. Nancy Friday’s books include a broad range of sexual fantasies from men and women. And of course, there are magazines with letters depicting erotic activities and sexual adventures. Whether real or professionally written, these stories can be entertaining either way.
  • Carnal Knowledge: Modern sex manuals and how to guides usually come with some juicy descriptive text segments and full color pictures or illustrations. Browsing for and discussing new sexual ideas that pique your interest is a great way to expand your sexual repertoire. Ideas that get a positive reaction can be tried right away or mentally stored for future fun and games. Try picking a book and have your lover choose a page number randomly then experiment with an idea on that page.
  • Prurient Paintings: Drawings, illustrations and paintings in various media depict human (and non-human) sexuality in all sorts of realistic and fanciful forms. Erotic art from various countries, cultures and historic time periods may stimulate your interests and may even provide the inspiration for a roleplaying fantasy. Use the erotic imagination of the artist to stimulate your own wild thoughts. Discovering how each other interprets the image can be enlightening. Accentuating your bedroom with special pieces of erotic art can turn it into a pleasure den – a constant reminder of your passionate desires. Or, purchase a few erotic art books or electronic collections for periodic browsing now and again. Each viewing will stimulate new desires.
  • Sensual Sounds: Although most people are visually oriented, many prefer aural stimulation. Erotic audio programs are available with guided sexual fantasies complete with sound effects. The Cyborgasm CDs utilized 3D sound technology that can immerse you in the experience. Although you may be able to enact the story as it progresses, mutual masturbation or oral sex while listening together can be just as thrilling. Try two headphones connected with a Y-splitter. Even a background porn sound track can be exciting while having sex together.
  • Films & Photos: Pictorial magazines and adult videos are the mainstream types of erotica. Although pornography has a bad reputation, it does serve a useful purpose in many intimate relationships. The market has shifted to include more female oriented content with an emphasis on quality. Romantic, erotic and hard core adult films and still images are available to suite the level of explicitness desired and almost every conceivable sexual activity you could imagine. Animations and special effects are being used to visually explore the very wild side of eroticism. While not every one will like the same type of material, exploring different types and styles of visual entertainment together opens the possibility of discovering something mutually enjoyable.
  • Physical Beauty: Statues, sculptures and even smaller sexual artifacts can be erotic. Body art and fashion (including lingerie) can also be stimulating. Sensual dance, risqué performance art and even live sex shows are other avenues for erotic adventure.
Not all erotic art will arouse you directly but may just trigger interesting thoughts and sexy ideas. Like it, love it or leave it, at least be open to experimenting with various types and styles of erotica. With an open mind, the power of choice and an enthusiastic sense of adventure, a wealth of erotic possibilities are available for you to discover and enjoy.
Consider creating your own erotic art together. Highlight what you find beautiful and attractive about your lover or yourself. Take a life drawing or digital photography course together and practice expressing yourselves as artist or subject. You can use a computer paint application to enhance your work before making a print to hang on your wall. Or create a slide show for your digital picture frame. Alternatively, try crafting an erotic story, poem or screen play detailing one of your fantasies. You can even film your own erotic scenes and use video editing software to create a sexual master piece. Have fun making and enjoying your erotic art together in what ever form you desire. The more you think about sex together, the more you will want it together.
Appreciating quality erotic art in all its forms should be encouraged. Some artists will push against boundaries and restrictions while others will unfortunately have their talents for creative eroticism suppressed. It can be extremely rewarding to enjoy erotic art with your lover. Becoming aware of how and why you respond to specific nuances of the material will give you insights into each other’s erotic nature. And, with a greater, more intimate understanding of yourself and your lover, you have the foundation to build a better relationship together.
What is your favorite type of erotica and what makes it special for you?