The Academy of SM Arts

Kiss of Leather, Tongues of Fire: the Richer Territories of BDSM

Cléo Dubois — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:23:58 +0000

In my first video, “The Pain Game” the connection between Creed (my beautiful masochist) and me allowed both of us to fly in shamanic S/M play.

This article is excerpted from a longer interview that was originally published on Alt.com in 2004. In it, I address some of those richer, darker and more transcendent territories to which our BDSM journeys can us. Topics include the dance of flogging, achieving good bondage play, what to do when a scene stops working, how to safely push ...

Leather and Spice: Beginning the Journey

Cléo Dubois — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:31:32 +0000

By Marianne Messina and Cleo Dubois

In this interview with Marianne Messina, Cléo Dubois talks about how her personal journey into BDSM began, where to find information when you don’t have a mentor, and how BDSM can help people grow in their erotic relationships. A longer version of this article, aimed at newbies and those who are “kink curious” appeared on www.adultFriendFinder.com in August 2004.

Download a PDF copy of this interview

Marianne Messina (MM): Can you briefly talk about your personal journey with BDSM and maybe what you’ve ...

Cléo on SM and Spirituality

Cléo Dubois — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 01:38:19 +0000

SM allows us to look in all the dark places in a consensual environment… I find a lot of healing there. ~ Cléo Dubois

The following interview is excerpted from a longer piece titled “SCENEprofiles Interview with Cléo Dubois,” published in a section of Sensuous Sadie’s website that is dedicated to the intersection of the spirit and sado-erotic.

SENSUOUS SADIE: You have been in the lifestyle for twenty years. How has your practice changed over this time?

CLÉO DUBOIS: When I first discovered my sadistic Dominant side, I ...

Finding Better Kink Instruction

Cléo Dubois — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:32:07 +0000

In the wake of Fifty Shades of Grey, it seems like kink has taken over the Internet. A Google search of the phrase “BDSM education” turns up over 12,000,000 entries. With so many people claiming to be “experts,” how do you start your journey in kink safely? Who can help you acquire a solid foundation that will serve you for the rest of your erotic life?

When I began learning to embody my versatile kinky desires, there was no Internet. I join the Society of Janus and volunteered. ...

Playing with Erotic Integrity (Podcast)

Cléo Dubois — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:39:36 +0000

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Dr. Claudia Six, MA, PhD, is an ACS certified couples counselor and sex therapist working in Marin. In this interview, she interviews me about how one can find one’s erotic integrity through power play & energy exchange. I discuss how I coach Dominants to distinguish between “clean fire” and anger. I also share how I encourage coaching clients and students to move beyond their fears, safely explore their sexual fantasies and find their own erotic truth.

This ...

Getting Started: Ideas for A First Scene

Cléo Dubois — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 07:21:36 +0000

BDSM is often referred to as “gourmet sex,” and indeed, you have a large menu of possibilities, some spicier than others, of course!

This article is excerpted from an interview that was originally published on www.adultFriendFinder.com. Alt.com Editor, Marianne Messina, asked Cléo Dubois, “What are some fun, erotic ways to get started in kinky play (BDSM)?” In response, Ms. Dubois took readers step-by-step through our first scene. While the scene depicts a Dominant Woman and ...

Kiss of Leather, Tongues of Fire, page 3

Cléo Dubois — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:38:38 +0000

In “Tie Me Up!” Jack, an experienced Dominant, trusts me to help him stretch his boundaries. As I write, “Brushing up against a boundary and expanding someone’s limits is often positive… While we play safely, we don’t play it safe.”

AFF: What do you feel are your strongest skills — both psychological and technical — in BDSM play?

DUBOIS: Being really present when I play and my ability to ground and flow with the scene. It’s being able to see the forest AND the trees, ...

Kiss of Leather, Tongues of Fire, page 2

Cléo Dubois — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:30:15 +0000

This is the most significant piece of performance Fakir and all of us involved in the creation at London’s Torture Garden in 2008 had the privilege to offer… Our intent was to honor the ancient shamanic piercing and suspension traditions in a ritual performance containing beauty and spiritual imagery. I loved creating these symbolic realities. Namaste.

AFF: You are attracted to ritual elements of BDSM going back to your trips to Malaysia for the Thaipussan Festival where you studied tribal rituals first hand. You ...

Leather and Spice, page 3

Cléo Dubois — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 18:22:21 +0000

In the above video clip about negotiation (from The Pain Game), Brad and I discuss what we want, including our mutual desire for power exchange.

MM: What elements of play or types of play do you find most enjoyable?

CLÉO DUBOIS: Oh there are so many…After a workshop in Los Angeles I was shown around their play space and they had a “classroom.” As soon as I saw the big blackboard, the little school desks and the rulers I instantly became La Maitresse d’Ecole. The lesson was ...

Leather and Spice, page 2

Cléo Dubois — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 17:04:55 +0000

Simply telling the truth about what you want sexually but have been embarrassed to ask for can be an immensely freeing experience, especially if it’s received well.

MM: With so much sex education online, where do you advise that people just starting to explore BDSM go for reliable information?

In this day of the Internet it is certainly much easier than it was before Leatherfolks started coming out en masse to get informed. Today you can just type “BDSM” or “kinky” into your search engine ...