I'd be lying if I said my intention had always been to launch a sensual product. In reality it was a far more organic process. It developed slowly from sexual experimentation and getting to know my own body. I believe taking the time to sensually explore is key to taking ownership over pleasure. It's always seemed strange to me that we allow ourselves so much more expression in the way we dress ourselves or even in the kitchen, than we do in how we masturbate. It's often dismissed as a place holder for partnered play.
Curiosity is the driving force behind Prudence, she was built over years of trial and error until she felt just right. I am a great advocate of masturbation as a creative process. After all, many of the world's invention's are born of a similar intention. Take secure online payments, for instance, which grew from the needs of the internet porn industry.
Above is the original mood board I made for Fine Bone back in 2014. As a starting point, I knew that I liked hard sex toys. The combination of glossy and heavy has always appealed to me but I hadn't yet found my perfect shape. I set about moulding different objects from polymer clay and baking them in the oven to experiment with what worked for me and what didn't. When I found a few shapes I liked, I sent the designs out to artisans who worked them up in glass and ceramic. Prudence was by far the best prototype that came back to me.
Right now, I'm adopting the same "Suck it and See" method for an Anal toy called Patience. But this time I hope to make it a more collaborative process. I've begun the research with a questionnaire on anal pleasure for vagina owners, and so far it's been eye opening. Inspired by some of the answers I've been working up drawings, 3D files and moulding different shapes just like before.
Each person's pleasure is as individual as the next. For womxn especially, there's no universal way to prescribe what feels good. I would encourage everyone to break up their routine and apply a little creativity to the way they play. Experimentation on our own terms leads to wonderful discoveries and greater sexual fulfilment.
