Rediscover Non-Sexual Touch by Stu
November 13th, 2007 1:21 AMThis task is not safe for work. I mean, it depends on where you work, but be careful, please.
The last thing I want to do is get someone in trouble. There will be naked girl-bits pictured in this task. I am comfortable with my body and sharing my body, but your boss may not be so comfortable with it. If you have a nervous significant other (or a few nervous SOs), you may want to get their permission. If your kids like going through your history, delete this page if you don't want them to see a naked woman. If you get squicked out by breasts and genitalia, there are plenty of other tasks, like this one: in which I turned my eye green.Here is more text in an attempt to help you deal with the fact that you may have opened this not expecting naked women. I hope you don't have an enormous monitor with a maximized browser window, because there's only so much space I can add. Let's hope that was enough.
Because this is my body and I'm sharing it out of my love for it and not so anyone can make money off it, please be respectful of the images and don't post them to hotfingerpaintedgirls.com. Also, the photographer does own these pictures, so it'd be pretty bitchy to put them up places. He's okay with my showing them to people, but I don't want them to get into hands where his work or my body will be exploited. That said, please do show your friends, pets, family, or whoever else you think might enjoy it.
Thank you. I like SF0. I expect you all to be respectful. It's a neat social contract. Go us.
The Task
MOVING ON. I would like to re-begin this description by stating that I am cheating a little by doing this task. This happened before I began to play SF0, but it was done in the spirit of the task.
I was one of those people who avoided pictures of me. I didn't like how they looked. I didn't like to smile for the camera. One day, I decided this would not do. So I asked a friend to take a picture of me. Because he's a professional photographer, he took a whole bunch. Probably my favorite:
He got me to be slightly more comfortable with my body, but I still felt like I had posed for most of his pictures. I wasn't being me, I was being a model. And that's fine.
One night, while hanging out with some friends, I showed this picture to an other friend who is a photographer. I said I wanted to do more, but I wasn't sure what. He eventually suggested a photo shoot. I said I wanted to do nude (I'll explain that in a minute). He said he wanted to add fingerpaints. I thought it was brilliant.
He and another friend of mine met me in a studio on campus that had a paper backdrop (which would allow us to fingerpaint me and destroy the evidence afterwards. Well, at least we weren't going to stain some pretty cloth backdrop.
I showed up and Dom was setting up (that's his name--his website, which I feel I should promote, is http://dagradivisual.com/) various lights and cameras. And fingerpaints:
carmen! also was there, and she helped with the fingerpainting.
Dom took a few pictures of me clothed, and then I got naked. I'm a comfortable nudist. I don't mind being around naked people, and I don't mind being naked around nearly anybody. Hell, I like nudity. I like it when I can be naked and non-sexual in general, though when I'm naked, usually I don't let other people touch me much. It has too much potential for sexiness, and that can be icky when I'm not ready, or expecting it, or wanting it. But I really do like being naked. I spend time naked when I can (which is mostly at home, and thank goodness for awesome housemates). That said, being touched with fingerpaints while completely naked and photographed was going to be a challenge, I thought.
Turns out, it was easy. I credit good friends and the right attitude. Dom and carmen! were fantastic. It never got uncomfortable because there was never a reason to be uncomfortable. There was comfort, there was fun, there was curiosity. There was the first bit of blue traced across my shoulder:
There was the realization that this was going to be awesome. Then there were stripes:
And experimentation with the application of color:
I'll pause here a moment to mention that I have a lot of things that make my skin imperfect. I appreciate that. It makes things interesting. I've always found that interesting is better than perfect-but-bland, and I've made more than one girlfriend uncomfortable by enjoying her stretch-marks or birthmarks or moles or scars. I have blemishes and zits, and I deal with those okay. I like the way my stretch marks look and feel, but I was sort of self-conscious about them being painted, for all of three seconds, until I said out loud that I was going to be okay with how they felt. And then I was.
Back to touching other stuff: After a while, I recognized that Dom and carmen! might be waiting for permission to paint my breasts and crotch. I said something to this effect, and Dom made some completely goofy joke about "foreplay," which diffused any remaining tension in the room. Soon afterwards, my hair, face, arms, belly, breasts, and legs were covered:
At that point, I was very happy.
There was still some hesitancy about my crotch, I think maybe because it's intimidating (?). I've got a good amount of hair and seven genital piercings (3 outer labia on each side and one vertical hood). I hear it can be a bit much, at first. When the two painters realized there wasn't much left to do besides my crotch, there was some joking about getting my "inner thighs," then there was a good three minutes of staring at my vulva. Dom asked if he could touch my piercings, and I said it was fine with me, so he did. It made us all giggle, because it was so innocently curious. It wasn't even uncomfortable. Then the two of them applied paint. It was an incredible feeling--completely non-sexual, comfortable, and okay. It wasn't as numb as, say, soaping myself in the shower, but it wasn't a turn-on. It was like when a friend pets my head or gives me a non-sexual kiss on the cheek. Very cool. Vulva-painting.
Then carmen! gently Pollocked the floor, and I rolled around in it.
The paint on the floor was colder and less predictable than the paint on the fingers of people. I still hadn't painted myself yet, at this point. Again, non-sexual touch. Paint, a floor, and my body. Wet against flesh. I got up again:
I spent some time feeling the paint against my skin. Sitting. Moving.
Then I began to paint myself using paint glops on the floor and on my body. I eventually put a big old bunch of paint on my hand and smeared it down the left side of my face.
I started to be more comfortable touching myself, so I started holding and touching myself more and in different ways.
After lots and lots of pictures and exploration and fun, it was finally time for Dom to go to class. I put my clothes back on:
And they felt so odd. Both because of the stickiness of the paint and because the paint felt like it should be sufficient clothing for public use. I knew it wasn't, but I wanted it to be. I had become comfortable in this new skin, which was just color on top of my skin. I walked across campus to the car like this, and I got a lot of looks, but I was too busy feeling the way the clothing felt unnatural on my skin and the way the paint felt like a part of me. And then it felt like an itchy part of me, but what can you do? Paint dries, and it flakes, and that tickles like a tickly thing.
Some day, I'd like to do something like this sexually. I'm glad this first time wasn't sexual. I'm so happy it was a few friends hanging around and playing. I'm even more happy that there's evidence.
43 vote(s)
- Charlie Fish
- Spidere
- Tøm
- Blue
- GYØ Ben
- The Vixen
- a andnota
- susy derkins
- Jellybean of Thark
- Lank
- Lincøln
- Sean Mahan
- Malaysian Eddy
- Scarlett
- Herbie Hatman
- Fonne Tayne
- Meta tron
- Caroline The Curly
- Cthulhu Kitty
- Laura
- Lord of Entropy
- Magpie
- lara black
- *la nerdrice*
- JTony Loves Brains
- GlyphGryph
- Burn Unit
- miss understanding
- Elizabeth Park
- Tricia Tanaka
- Not Here No More
- Ricky Ricardo
- Sparrows Fall
- Haberley Mead
- Beta Orionis
- Lindar Greenwood
- The Found Walrus
- Borgasm
- Optical Dave
- Waldo Cheerio
- Samantha
- Kyle Hamilton
- Sam Archer
Favorite of:
Terms
nonplayers, paint, shplank, naked, casyj, gamingfundie33 comment(s)
This might just be the best possible completion of this task. I absolutely second your perspectives on nudity. You are a hero.
I had a very similar day once upon a time - there were seven of us, some booze, lots of poster paint and (eventually) no clothes. And no sex. It was one of the best days of my life. You can see a photo of me on that day with the girl I ended up marrying on this task.
Joe: That sound like a great...WAIT A SECOND. I can smell your snake oil from here!
Charlie: Thank you. I'm beyond flattered, and it's good to hear about more and more people who view nudity approximately the same way I do.
That's a beautiful picture, and it sounds like a perfect way to have fun with six friends (including one who would one day be your wife!). Good for all of you.
Great work, Stu. I continue to be impressed at the open and accepting nature of people on sf0. The last task that amazed me this much was the Vixen's Last Day of Your Life (though a couple of Lincoln's have come close). I aspire to one day be so comfortable, and be in the company of people I can be so comfortable with.
This is a beautiful completion and writeup--it makes me think about how I can be a better person. I have to vote for it, despite it being done not for SF0.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
You have a thing for body colouring, votes!
Spidere: Thank you, and thank you for pointing me towards the Last Day task. It was beautiful. I do hope you find a way to be so comfortable some day, but there's no rush.
As for it not being done explicitly for SF0. I almost didn't post it, and I realized it was worth sharing even if it didn't count, and I could go back through the pictures and re-explore and re-evaluate what I felt and how it all went. I'm not doing this for votes--I'm doing it for fun and exploration. And this is fun, and it's all explorey, so it works for me.
Gubznf: It seems I do. I should figure out what to color next, though I'm not sure what is left. I wonder why color appeals to me so much. Maybe I should do something in black and white to challenge myself.
Stu; you're simply wonderful. A true yardstick if ever I saw one.
People should look up to you (in real life or on SF0) and thing "I wish I were them."
VOTES. AND MORE VOTES.
Ben: Thank you. As for people looking up to me, I hope they think, "Neat, now I want to go do something challenging/fun/wacky." I think one of me is enough for the world right now, but I'd love to see more people making themselves happy. The fun thing about this game is I don't have to present the insecure side of me. Maybe I'll do that next.
"I was too busy feeling the way the clothing felt unnatural on my skin and the way the paint felt like a part of me. And then it felt like an itchy part of me, but what can you do? Paint dries, and it flakes, and that tickles like a tickly thing."
Wow. So many wows.
Susy: Thank you. You made me blush. And yeah, the tickly itchy stuff was kind of odd, and I was in a mood last night, which makes words trickier, which makes me talk like I'm on something.
El Capitan: You should! It felt awesome, and it washed off easily.
Vote for bravery and discovery and nudity and fun.
Let's make a naked body painting task.
A fascinating experience, interesting photos, and an engaging description.
The gaming fundamentalist in my hasn't yet decided whether or not I can vote for it, as a retro completion; however, I'll readily acknowledge the time and care put into the writeup and presentation are easily task worthy, and it fulfills the spirit of the task perfectly.
Also, although I'm all in favor of naked body painting among friends, the idea walking around in with full body paint under ordinary street clothes is also intriguing. Wonder if anyone walking past noticed your painted knee through the ripped jeans.
I'm with Loki. Hmm i say. Hmmm. (Very well done.)
Had you not been so forthright with the information that this was a "retro completion" no one would have known. I will not penalize you for your honesty.
I enjoyed your blunt factualness in this praxis.
You looked so happy to be painty! I envy you this experience, I'd love to do it, but I just know I never will.
p.s. I agree that the care and attention thats gone into the write up negates the retro-ness. : )
yay, I love made up words.
Everyone: Sorry to slack on the comments--it's been busy.
Lincoln: Thank you. As Charlie Fish pointed out, the Mess It Up task is one way to do it, but whether it's a task or not, I believe people should try this at some point.
Eddy: Nekedness is so comfortable sometimes. Hooray indeed!
Gaming Fundie in Loki: Don't worry about votes. I didn't do this for votes, I did it to share, and I certainly understand holding back. Vote for something else instead. There's plenty of amazing stuff out there, and I'm happy just to have provoked thought and conversation.
Rest of Loki: I do wonder if anyone put it together or not. I know my face and hair were wacky, but I didn't see anyone looking at my knees. It sure was fun, though.
Bex: Hmmmm all you want, and no need to vote. (Thank you!) Just glad you came to look.
Herbie: Thank you--I've been striving to be as factual as possible in these, or at least as straightforward as I could where opinion was concerned. Maybe some day I'll do one that's all lies and see how it feels...
Meta: I was so damn happy. It felt so freeing. I hope that, even not doing this, you have/find something that gives you the same (or a similar) sense of warmth and freedom. I felt more connected to myself and the world in that studio than I'd felt in a long time, as much as I felt separate from myself. Thank you, and keep making up words. It awesomes language. (I just verbed "awesome" there, which, while not really making up a new word, does weird language.)
Also Loki: I'm impressed you noticed the ripped jeans. I love those jeans. I tend to wear two pairs of pants during the winter (when it's just too damn cold out), and I always wonder who notices the monkeys, or stripes, or dots, or other patterns on my knee as the underneath-pants are visible there. Maybe in the summer I'll draw faces or leave stickers there, or something, and see if anyone notices.
I just have to say that this is amazing stu. it looks like a lot of fun. I've always wanted to do a nude photoshoot, nothing sexual, just the beauty of the human body, but the whole being a minor thing sort of negates that for now. hmmm... maybe sometime once I'm allowed lol. I really love the idea of the fingerpaints, it looks really cool. I don't think I'd be ok with being painted all over, mostly cause, well, I am not big on having gunky stuff like paint on me, but when you said " but I was too busy feeling the way the clothing felt unnatural on my skin", that was totally awesome, cause thats the way I feel sometimes. yay! another likes to hang out at home nude person. Maybe because I spent most of my childhood in a leotard, which is practically nothing, or because I can't see why a bra and panties is any different than a bathing suit, or because I spent a summer in europe and developed european sensibilities, or because I'm pagan, or what, but seriously, being naked is awesome, because of all the different sensations from being clothed. actually, I bet getting painted felt really cool. anyways, most amazing stu, I would like to aplaud you.
Caroline: Thank you! It was tons of fun. The human body can be quite beautiful, and I'm sorry age limits are deemed necessary for nude photoshots. You could probably do the fingerpainting sans pictures with an underage friend without getting into trouble. As for the paint being gunky, I won't lie--it was. But it washed off just fine, and maybe would work if you did it all while in a shower, so if it got itchy or icky you could wash it off right then?
I once played with some chocolate ganache in a shower so we could just rinse it all away. It was pretty neat.
Re: the leotard: Do you dance? Nudity is so comfortable. In the wintertime, when it's cold, there's nothing like wrapping a bit blanket around a naked body.
Thanks for enjoying it, and thanks for commenting.
i believe that in writing up the task and reflecting on the experience, stu is completing the requirement to rediscover non-sexual touch, and so i vote vote vote for this excellent completion!
Lara: Thanks! Writing it up certainly was a rediscovery.
i LOVE the pictures, especially the one where your hair is also totally covered in color.
made me want to get completely covered in paint as well, just for the sensation of the paint on my body..
nice one!
Suzy: Thank you! I want to go out sometime with my hair done with the paint. Just my hair. I think it'd be neat. As for you giving it a try, do it! You'll have fun.
i don't quite know what to say. This is just... so... beautiful. I'm particularly enthralled with the first swash of blue picture... so full of expectation, I can feel the goosebumps, the hairs standing on end, the pulse in the neck going just a little faster as that first, slightly cold, fingertip touches your collarbone. The look on your face is exquisite.
And there is so much more...
Thanks for sharing this with all of us. It pretty much made my day.
JTony: Thank you! That first bit of touch was before I remembered to breathe, so it was a bit less relaxed than the rest, but it was a good tense. A realization that this was going to be okay, interesting, and eventually comfortable. I wish I could take credit for the look on my face, but my face did that all on its own.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I'm so glad I did it.
I don't know how this escaped me. Simply wonderful!
Thank you! I've had to be away from SF0 for a few days, and it's so lovely to come back to someone enjoying this one. It's the first hit on google for "fingerpaint stu," which makes me so damn happy.
Ha! I know Dom [I attend CMU and am part of KGB] and saw pictures of Painted You shortly after it happened, and long before joining SF0 or happening upon your praxis. I love that there was a greater story to the work than Dom on a photography kick. Wonderful take on rediscovery. Kudos!
WOW! I haven't looked at SF0 in a month and this is the first thing I saw.
I think I had nearly as much fun reading it as you did doing it. :) Thanks for a great task and a fabulously honest write-up.
So many feelings...
Thank you! I wish i could do something like this. The write up, the idea, the amazing beauty of it...
This defines art
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