Uh, why Spanking?

Hello mon chéries,

There’s something deeply funny about the fact that humans invented spanking.

Like at some point in history, somebody got spanked and instead of going “never again,” they went: wait.

And now we have entire relationships built around someone saying “you’ve been bad” in a voice that alters your brain chemistry.

Which is beautiful, honestly!

I think people outside of kink imagine spanking as this super intense, hyper-serious thing. A grimy leather dungeon, hyper Masculine Leather 'tools' or someone suspended from the ceiling like a decorative ham. 

And sure, sometimes it is that. But sometimes it’s also just:

• tension
• teasing
• wanting attention
• wanting to be looked at
• wanting to be handled a little
• taking the mental weight off

Maybe a lot of spanking is theatre?
Like, good theatre. Everyone knows what role they’re playing and enjoys every second of it.

The pause before the hit.
The look.
The anticipation.
The stupid little power struggle.
“you’re being difficult on purpose.”
“correct.”

It’s chemistry, baby!

And I think that’s why I love impact play aesthetics so much. Because the emotional energy of it is so specific. It’s dramatic and affectionate at the same time. Sweet but threatening. 

People also assume spanking is always about pain, but honestly? Sometimes it barely is. 

Sometimes it’s mostly about attention.

Someone paying complete attention to you is an incredibly intense thing. Especially now, when everyone is distracted all the time. Spanking (even playful spanking) creates this weird little universe where both people are suddenly hyperaware of each other.

Every movement matters, every reaction matters, every pause matters. 
And the body remembers anticipation almost more than impact.

Which sounds like a lot of nothing until someone slowly taps a paddle against their palm and you suddenly understand the hype with classic romance literature. See: "Wuthering Heights" 

There’s also something very intimate about consensually giving someone control over your reactions.

Not ownership, not degradation, it's just trust. 

Trust that someone will read your body correctly. Trust that they’ll notice when you tense up. Trust that they’ll take care of you after making you dramatically yelp into a pillow over one moderately hard smack. Which, for the record, is a completely normal reaction.

I also (obviously) think impact play deserves better branding!

Why does everything have to look cheap and tactical?

Where are the beautiful things? The unserious things? The fun things?

The glossy cherry red lacquered paddles that look like they’d ruin your life aesthetically and emotionally? (TLDR: I made them)

Kink can be elegant. Or playful. Or unserious. Or glamorous.

It's in movies, and books, and ripped tights, and waxing appointments ,and tiny handbags with absolutely nothing inside it or, 'Angel' written in gothic font.

That contrast is the fun part.

Anyway...

If you’ve ever been curious about spanking, the answer is yes, it can totally be soft. It can be playful. It can be romantic. It can be funny. It can also completely rearrange your emotional state for the rest of the evening.

Human beings are weirdos. And thank fuck for that, mon chéries. ✷