Guest Curator Olaiya Land talks with Ev’Yan Whitney about the importance of reconnecting with pleasure, and their book, Sensual Self. Click here to register.

This series of online talks will examine the ways all of our lives have shifted since the beginning of the pandemic and how we can move towards equity, justice and liberation through meaningful self-care.

Olaiya Land, founder of the online journal and community Lionesse, will be in conversation with authors and activists of diverse backgrounds about their personal journey towards self-acceptance and how their work aims to help others lean into embracing themselves more fully.

These conversations will be centered around reclaiming the concepts of self-care and self-acceptance from the hands of capitalism and mass-marketing and enabling them to retain meaning. The series will especially highlight the experiences of marginalized groups–BIPOC, queer and trans folks, fat people, women, and neurodivergent individuals–as they push back against Western beauty standards, patriarchy and White Supremacy and carve out spaces to feel accepted and whole.

This event is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation. Thanks to media sponsor The Seattle Times. This event will be recorded, captioned and then posted on SPL’s YouTube channel after the event.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Ev’Yan Whitney (they/she) is a Sexuality Doula®, sex educator, and a sensualist. For over a decade, Ev’Yan has dedicated themselves to sex education and sexual activism, helping folks reclaim their unique sexual expressions and reconnect to their sensual bodies. Ev’Yan’s work focuses on decolonizing, unshaming, and liberating sexuality at the intersection of identity, pleasure, and embodiment. They are the author of the book Sensual Self and host a podcast of the same name.

Olaiya Land the founder and editor of Lionesse, an online journal and community promoting connection, confidence, sisterhood & self-love. She is the host of the Lionesse podcast. Olaiya also leads retreats and workshops all over the world that help people feel empowered and connect to their creativity. You can learn more about her work at www.wearelionesse.com and @wearelionesse.

About the Book:

Sensual Self is a self-paced journal offering guidance to those seeking reconnection with their pleasure, featuring 150+ prompts to help readers define sensuality for themselves.

Pleasure transcends sexuality; Sensual Self is here to help you embrace it. This guided journal is a self-written manual for your unique sensuality. With interactive, thought-provoking questions, you’ll be guided to map and explore the inner landscape of your body—the textures, shapes, tempos, and temperatures that bring you bliss.

Sensual Self allows ample room to record your process and express yourself, giving you space for intimate conversations with yourself surrounding your pleasure and desires. 150+ prompts and exercises will help you focus on grounding yourself, checking in with your mind and body, self-acceptance, self-care, and body consciousness—from “In what ways do you keep your sensuality hidden?” to “What does an enthusiastic ‘yes!’ feel like in your body?”

This journal is the culmination of Sexuality Doula® and sex educator Ev’Yan Whitney’s body of work. Sensual Self fulfills their mission to liberate individuals by guiding them to rediscover their sensuality and explore their sexuality.
ADA Accommodations We can provide accommodations for people with disabilities at Library events. Please contact leap@spl.org at least seven days before the event to request accommodations. Captions are available for all recorded Library programs.