Writing in the Shadows

This is a space for complexity. A space where pain and pleasure sit beside each other without needing to be untangled. We’ve known the heaviness of wanting something so deeply it aches, that hunger that makes us willing to do anything for it. We’ve known the suffocation of shame—how it distorts who we are, how it convinces us we’re unworthy of the very things we crave. Here, we remember: we don’t have to rush to fix or heal or polish our stories until they shine in order to be deserving of pleasure. We honor what is true.

This workshop will begin with shadow work. We will explore the hidden parts of ourselves that we are often told to keep secret. The place where our deepest hurts hide. Through writing, reflection and communing, we will confront our shame with open arms. We meet them with care—not to banish them, but to see them clearly, and hold them as part of us.

And then we keep going. Following the thread between shadow and pleasure - only stopping when we feel the joy taking deep roots. The rituals that reconnect us to this truth are already in our hands.

This workshop invites you to use language as a tool for reimagining.

1. To write your way back to the pleasures you’ve known.
2. To revisit them, honor them, and claim them again and again.
3. To feel everything this life offers, especially in the dark.

What You’ll Experience

1. Engage in guided writing exercises that support the gentle naming and mapping of internalized shame.
2. Practice witnessing your shadow stories with compassion, cultivating the ability to observe rather than judge, and to hold complexity with care.
3. Explore voice, perspective, and narrative distance as tools to create emotional safety while writing about difficult or tender material.
4. Reframe shame through a sensual, body-centered lens, integrating somatic awareness into your writing to ground abstract emotions in lived experience.
5. Reconnect with pleasure as a generative source of power, healing, and creative freedom — and translate that connection into written expression.
6. Develop a personal writing ritual that weaves together truth-telling, shadow work, and erotic joy.

By the end of our time together, you will have crafted writing that not only explores your inner landscape but also invites new stories to take shape — stories that honor both shadow and light.

What You’ll Need

1. A quiet, comfortable space where you can write and reflect without interruption
2. A notebook or journal, a pencil or pen - or your favorite device for writing — whatever helps your words flow
3. A candle, a piece of fabric, or an object that feels sacred or grounding to you
4. An open heart and a willingness to meet yourself with tenderness
5. Water, tea, or something nourishing to sip as you move through the practice

These are suggestions — please gather whatever helps you feel grounded, safe, and open to the process.

For those who want AASECT CE Credits:

Learning Objectives

1. By the end of the workshop, participants will complete three writing exercises that help them explore shame and pleasure, practice one grounding technique, and create a personal ritual that supports writing with emotional honesty and joy.

Core Knowledge Areas

M

Velvet Lips Sex Ed will provide AASECT Continuing Education Credits for this virtual workshop.

You will be required to give the password and fill out the evaluation to receive your CE certificate after the virtual event. This program meets the requirements of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) and is approved for 1 CE credit.

These CE credits may be applied toward AASECT certification and renewal of certification.

Completion of this program does not ensure or guarantee AASECT certification. For further information please contact info@aasect.org.

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Grievance Procedures are HERE.

Please make sure to check your spelling and add marla@velvetlipssexed.com as a safe sender.

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Join us every third Tuesday for SDS: Speak On It!—an intimate, interactive workshop series where we explore the many layers of sexuality, healing, pleasure, and the behind-the-scenes work that powers our movement. From the business of event planning to the complexities of kink, mental health, and liberation work, this series is a space to learn, share, and grow—together.

Each session is short, impactful, and designed to leave space for real-time connection and community conversation. Whether you're a pleasure professional, a curious seeker, or part of our extended SDS family, these sessions are for you.

Let’s speak on it—because our stories, strategies, and truths deserve a voice.

We believe in accessibility and community care, which is why we offer tiered pricing:

1. $15 – Community Rate (for those with limited income)
2. $30 – Sustainer Rate (covers your spot and helps sustain the series)
3. $45 – Supporter Rate (pays it forward and helps us grow)

If you’re seeking Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for professional development, an additional $40 CEU processing fee applies. CEU certificates will be issued following completion of the session and feedback form