Graydancer
A Triumph of the Imagination
Written by Gray Dancer on November 20th, 2006As GloRoMo is going strong (73 pictures in the gallery, and I’m not sure yet how many feet) I was reminded tonight of one of the things that sets rope aside from many other sexual toys.
Imagination.
I mean, give someone leather cuffs, and they pretty much know what they’re going to do with it. Give them a vibrator and yeah, there’s going to be a lot of places and techniques, but it’s pretty much going to A) vibrate and B) touch the other person. That’s it.
But rope…rope requires imagination, as my friend the Sexgeek told me recently. Hand someone rope, and they have to figure out what they’re going to do with it. Even if the obvious thought (”I’m gonna tie up some chicks!”) comes to mind, there still comes the question of how?
- Are you going to do something simple and direct?
- Something artsy and complex?
- Something just plain fuck-them-silly-dirty?
- Something really out there?
In a recent conversation with a friend I get to see far too little of, she was telling me about a recent suspension she did–her first with another person involved. It looked like this:
Now, I don’t know about you, but that is some fine ropework there. I mean, world class. And this is her first suspension of someone else, after a lot of self (and sub) suspension.
And she’s worried, you see, that she “really doesn’t know what she’s doing.” When I hear that, it sounds like the same voice that tells people “Oh, you can’t be an artist” or “Oh, you can’t sing/dance/insert creative art here.”
It drives me mad. Because she obviously knew what she was doing, she obviously did something wonderful, and thank the gods she didn’t let that voice keep her from putting that pretty smile on SeeMeNaked’s face. I just wish she’d realize that she has the skills, she has the ability to translate them into imagination, and that’s why when people hand her rope, she doesn’t say “Hmmm. What am I supposed to do with this?”
No, as she’s told me, she “gets rope”. It just triggers those creative juices. Next time, she may flog with it. She may just use it sensually. But it will be her doing it, not the piece itself.
No, I’m not dissing leather or metal or anything. I’m just saying that it’s part of what makes really good rope work–kinbaku–an art, and why I prefer it to leather, or cuffs, or stocks. Give me a length of rope; I’ll rock your world.
Links to galleries:
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Gray,
Your blog hit a note with me this morning! I know exactly where your friend who did her first suspension is coming from. I have never considered myself artistic. I, too, GET rope. It is amazing the creativity that encompasses me, and more importantly the connection it brings between jen and I, if I could only bottle up the formula and sell it!
But after about 18 months of rope play (which we “accidently” stumbled on by finding Ds-arts.com) I feel creative, and starting to step back after a tie, and saying wow i just did that. I love the trance like state I go into when tying jen up. Friends, Victor and passion, say I tie fast, that I am constantly running rope through my hands and am focused like a hawk. I am not even aware of those things as I tie. It is an amazing place to be. I am recently feeling, probably since Kinky Kollege, a further connection to my creativity, imagination and the rope that leaves my hands and adores my sweet and loving lilj ! I have never had that feeling before in my life and I love it!! Completes me, empowers me and allows me to express WHO I am.
I am just getting to the point of confidence to show my rope work. I love the look after I have finished and so many in the community have encouraged and helped us in our journey. We will be forever greatful to our friends, mentors (also friends now), ad those who have accepted us for who we are and what small talents we bring.
Thank you for your thought provoking post. I really enjoyed it
Greg
PS you may use this on ropecast if you like. It is a great topic!
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Give me a length of rope; I’ll rock your world.
Promises Promises.
But seriously, I have this experiance too, not with rope but with striking usually - I keep being told I use a flogger well, and I still get self-consious about it, and other tools. I was starting to get comfortable finally, when someone else asked to see my flogger, then teased me about it being “wimpy” (it’s not, he’s just a jerk). Really helps one get their confidence, no?
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Gray,
I agree with you, and the first comment on here. I used to be into photography a while back, then kinda lost the time to do anything, and sorta just fell out of it. Then when I got into shibari a couple of years ago, suddenly my creativity and interest in photography woke up.
Yeah
I guess it is true with a lot of arts… but what I have noticed in common with photography and shibari… that there is both a technical and creative aspect, and that is what really gets me going. To tie not only a beautiful tie, and get to fuss over the detail of making sure all the little details are taken care of, but to also have to make sure that technically it is sound. That you can safely suspend someone, or know that they are not going to be able to wriggle out of a tie.
And my sub often comments that I have the most serious face sometimes when tieing, and that she can see my level of concentration when working, and I guess yeah, I do go into a bit of a trance too when working on a tie.
Oh, and as for the partial suspension from wiredpussy above… yuummmm
I think I’ll give that one a try soon!
-Poi