My Naked Self
A group for those wishing to explore and discuss how nudism and naked self portraits (aka nude selfies) help us explore our personal, social and cultural identities and how we express these aspects of self. All photos welcome with accompanying meaningful text to convey how the pic is an expression or exploration of self and identity. Please note - Private accounts or those with nothing to share...
- created by simone_b_free
New members feel free to say hi! We're here to be 'real' .
Return to DiscussionsHello all, I hope you are really well. The world is not getting any simpler or easier to live in just now but it seems that our shared love of being naked keeps us connected to the simple pleasures that make life worth living no matter what else is going on in the world. It is autumn here and the days are cooler and shorter though there are still pockets of sun to be caught in the garden here and there. My naked self is showing up more in my writing than my photos at the moment, in being authentic and 'real' and it is interesting how many people comment on authenticity and finding someone 'real' to talk to. What do you notice? How can you tell who are the 'real' people online? The genuine beings showing up as they say they do?
Such a rich topic area to explore! I'm glad, Simone, that you brought up being authentic with yourself. (I didn't go there previously because, let's face it, my post was too long already :) "Integrity is sexy" -- what a great sentiment! But even here, complications arise: not everyone is self-aware enough to know where they aren't being honest with themselves. To my mind, an aspect of maturity is having an accurate understanding of yourself; another is having the confidence to accept who you are, and allow yourself to interact with others openly and honestly.
Greetings Simone and fellow Sisters and Brothers in nudism!
First, I want to say a huge Thank You to Simone for the shift in photos as you kicked off the discussion about being Authentic and Real. They were even more intimate and displayed an even greater confidence, which is a quality that I have noticed in you Simone, since becoming TN Friends. Your confidence was never visibly lacking, but my perception was that you just shifted into hyper-drive confidence...it's an evidence of your total openness to your friends and followers, a gift, and inspiring!
I'd like to give a small peak over the fence to you all, of my young life and some of the things that shaped who I am. I'd like to be the first on here, to actually tell something personal about themselves and what started the energy path that has formed my journey. and my authentic self.
I was raised on a Horse and Cattle ranch in the mid-west US which had some very wonderful aspects. However my young life and that of my sisters, was very physically abusive and mentally abusive. Mixed in with Fundamental Christianity it was a confusing and strange brew that left me scarred and a distorted view of God...and that He was a harsh task master just waiting to judge and smack me for the least offense. The worst beating I ever got was at age 4, because I wasn't picking up my toys quick enough.
Fast Forward, I made many awesome but hard decisions in my life, and determined to NEVER be that kind of parent. We only had one son, but we are and have always been close and I of course ,never passed on the ugly abuse cycle. Furthermore, as my son reached age 4 I reflected back and thought, (how in the world could my mom have done that to me at this small innocent age?)
There is a lot to my life that is too long to tell, but I will answer any and all questions anyone may want to know. There was always shame in sex and nudity as I grew up and that was constantly preached. So at age 52 I finally with my wife consent tried nudism, and I was one element that set me more free than I had ever been. Nudism means more than the world to me.
I did grow up with integrity, honesty and lots of love for animals and my fellow human beings regardless of race, creed or sexual orientation. My biggest struggles in life are based in a lack of self love. I am not amazingly confident but am making strides in both of these as my life goes on.
OK folks...this is me, authentically me, honest and what you see is what you get.
Thank you all for your friendship, openness and especially Simone for her strength, guidance and inspiration.
Love Always~
The topic of real v fake people online is a sensitive topic isn't!? None of us want to feel tricked or played or taken for a ride but we all want to connect with other humans in authentic ways. Trouble is, from my perspective, very few of us put any effort in to being 'real' ourselves and expect others to do the work of connecting and sharing for us. So easy to point the finger at everyone else and make it 'their' fault. Taking the time to develop deep self awareness, to really know who you are and what you stand for, your values and ethics, and then presenting in a consistent way, whether you use your real name or not, will help you to show up as authentic. Trouble for most people is that this takes time and effort - isn't there an app or a 5 minute quiz or something for that??? Nope. No short cuts to really getting to know yourself and do the inner work it takes to be the best version of yourself you can be. But imagine: If each of us took responsibility for our own authenticity, for showing up consistently aligned with our values, our online communities, and the rest of the world, would be a much kinder, safer place to be. Namaste Sx
Well put I think being close to true self helps yourself and others a lot. But also understand that it can be challenging fpr some and takes time.
Hello, all, and thank you, Simone, for accepting me into the group. When I opened this topic I didnt expect it to go where it has gone. For me, my primary concern is about my own authenticity. I try not to parse others. I take them as they come and if I dont get the feeling theyre being genuine with me than thats one more piece of the puzzle I add to my perception of that person. Also, I allow space for the very real possibility that my perception might be wrong - I make mistakes. I dont expect folks to fully understand themselves or to lack contradiction. Im a human contradiction detector who has yet to meet someone devoid of hypocrisies. Accepting this is one step toward understand more about yourself and allowing you to cope with and work toward fewer contradictions in the future. One major factor regarding this topic is that were communicating via the written word. Wow, the pitfalls within this single aspect of communication are manifold! My first experience with the online group dynamic was in a Christian theology debate and discussion group. I was a brand spanking new Christian who was young enough and idealistic enough to think Id found a shiny happy place of folks like me who could thoughtfully and meaningfully discuss and, truly, debate topics. I tell you, my eyes were opened to the nastiness of online anonymity (though my screen name was my actual first and last name). More than seeing peoples asses I saw the written word failand fail spectacularly! It fails those who write poorly and eloquently; the class clown and the valedictorian; the writer and the reader. No matter what, it can be miswritten, misread, mischaracterized, and misquoted. I learned to have patience and to give people the benefit of the doubt because I, too, need others to offer me those things in return because Im imperfectly susceptible to all of the mis-givings I just mentioned. When it comes down to it, Im here to make meaningful connections with folks who share an intimate passion for being naked physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Evaluating the authenticity of these things online has primarily to do with what we feel about what someone has written. So, mostly, I hope Im graceful because I know I need a lot grace in return. I hope you all are well? Best wishes. Ken