Pleasurable Activism: Make a living by Making a Difference
“The greatest feminists have also been the greatest lovers. I'm thinking not only of Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley, but of Anais Nin, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and of course Sappho. You cannot divide creative juices from human juices. And as long as juicy women are equated with bad women, we will err on the side of being bad.” ― Erica Jong
Fruits of Labor: Hedopreneur Sex Positive Entrepreneur
A Hedopreneur is someone who works with gender equality or sexuality to improve the lives of people or the planet. Sexuality is one of the remaining areas where you can apply social entrepreneur principles to create products or services to benefit the planet and society.
When we look at sexuality today, we see that the famous Sexual Revolution that began in the sixties has now stalled. After more than 50 years of feminism, women live in a world that is still overwhelmingly run by men.
There are many imaginative and fun ways to work with sexuality. Sex is about pleasure. It is also about healing. Sexuality is already used in business. Often in ways that are negative.
Aside from creating employment and pleasure, we will be discussing ways to create a product or service that uses sexuality to address a real problem.
From sex and violence to sex and religion to sex and the media, sexuality touches almost all facets of human behavior.
Living in a sexy but not sexual world is rather like having a diet of junk food. Superficially it is fulfilling but it is not healthy on a deeper level. Lack of sexual satisfaction in people's lives leads to 'sexual substitution'. People engage in behavior such as compulsive shopping or even violence in order to fill the gap that is created from an unsatisfying love life.
Hedo Feminista is a look at many of the problems facing society today from the perspective of sexual dysfunction. We observe the connection of sex to both a problem and possible solutions. However, unlike most academic, theoretical or therapy-based approaches to looking at sex, we try to take a more practical approach.
Our HedoFeminista Free Speech Discussion Groups encourage communication about the various aspects of sex and society.
Any entrepreneur ideas generated by this discussion group or in the Adult Essays about Sex and Society, are royalty-free for other group participants to use should they decide to turn one into reality. You are of course welcome to give a ‘shout out’ to the group if you succeed.
- The way it is - Identify the Problem: We identify an area of sexual dysfunction. For example, in Sex and Politics, we might look at the sex scandals that plague male politicians and we try to identify the underlying causes and dysfunctions this causes.
- The way it could be - EcoSex Entrepreneur Solution: We suggest business ideas and commercial solutions that attempt to address the issue based on our research.
Many of the articles have ideas that could form the basis of a new ethical erotic enterprise that members can start on their own without having to pay any royalty or licensing for using one of our EcoSex Entrepreneur solutions!
Benefits of being a Hedopreneur
1) An Economic & Philosophical Foundation for Sex-Positive Households
With the increasing growth of the 'ethical monogamy' movement, people are wanting to live together in poly households. The problem is often economics and the simple effort it takes to survive and pay the bills in today's society is extremely taxing on any relationship and even more for polypods. Being a, Hedopreneur or sex positive entrepreneur, is a way for a poly group to fund themselves through an ethically sensual business. Because poly people already put their sexuality at the forefront of their lives, it makes sense to work with sex in a way that improves society and is in alignment with the values of the pod. Ethical non-monogamists have to communicate and create clear agreements about their relationship responsibilities and boundaries especially when it comes to children and shared assets. Any ethical business has to do the same.
2) A New Ethical Model for Sex Work
Prostitution, Pornography, Exotic Dancing are some of the main ways that sex is commercialized. While there are sexually empowered women and men working in these industries, the fact is there is a seedy aspect to all of them in their current form. That need not be so!
3) Creating products or services by solving real sexual problems
This is the most difficult part as it involves research into sexuality, politics, and sociology. This is what we have tried to do on this website. Research into the dysfunctional aspects of sex in the modern world and then suggest sustainable sensual enterprise solutions!
4) To derive income from sexuality that improves society in a tangible, measurable way.
From working with sexuality in a way that brings deeper happiness as opposed to shallow satisfaction.
5) To work with sexuality using the best business practices
Even if a sex business is controversial or skirting the edge of the law, an EcoSexual Entrepreneur should always try to obey all other aspects of the law particularly when it comes to health and safety.
6) Become part of the political process
This is especially true if your sensual enterprise is on the edge of or actually breaking the law of the country in which you live. Though this may be more difficult in authoritarian countries, try to work through the political process and make that part of your business plan to make your sensual enterprise truly legal. In this way, working to change the law becomes a taxable expense!
7) Treat workers well and fairly
By giving benefits, reasonable working conditions, and health care if possible. Or in the case of volunteers, using a fair trade system for work contributed.
8) Proudly Pay Taxes!
Insofar as is legally possible, pay applicable taxes, and demand your rights and recognition as a taxpayer.
9) Adopt Green Business Practices
Use environmentally-friendly policies and supplies at all levels in which you do your business. And try to persuade your suppliers and contractors to do the same.
10) Adopt a Cause
If your sex business is not directly helping people then devote part of your profits to a cause that does. For example, "10% of the profits go to Rape Crisis Shelters".
11) Ethical Public Relations
By adopting good business practices, eco-policies, treating workers well and so on you are actually creating news!. One of the most important aspects of doing the right thing is that it is one of the best forms of advertising around! Especially in this world of social media.
The Way it Can Be: We suggest ideas for social entrepreneurs or discussion group hosts that address this issue of sex and art.
Even if you don't use one of our ideas, we hope to teach you to look at the world as an Hedonista Entrepreneur. With these philosophical tools, you can develop your own sensual business with wonderful pleasurable ways to work with sexuality AND address social issues.
