Helen meets Helen Smith, a nude life model, personal trainer, dog lover and normalising nudity campaigner from the Midlands.
Q: What got you into naturism/nudism?
A: I went to a naturist beach in France by accident with a previous boyfriend. Neither of us realised it was naturist until we got there, but as it was a new relationship neither of us wanted to lose face and we both stripped off as if we'd been doing it for years. I quickly realised it was a nice way to be.
Q: Is there a difference between the two labels?
A: Hmm not really I don't think, maybe naturism is more about being outdoors and nudism not so much, but I think they're fairly interchangeable. I think the media like the term 'nudist' as 'nude' can raise an eyebrow, but 'nature' not so much!
Q: How does it impact your life on a day-to-day basis?
A: Well, it makes up part of my living! I'm a life model and I work both face to face with artists to draw and paint and through photography. I also ran my own nude fitness business. I plan to go back to this next year on an online basis when I've moved and have the space to do so.
Q: What challenges do women face in naturism generally?
A: From a personal perspective, the unwanted attention you can get. Men getting into your personal space, following you around, unwelcome comments and messages... Also, I still appreciate a bit of privacy, even though I'm very comfortable being nude in all environments - even when everyone else is clothed!
Communal showers are one of my bug bears. I prefer to shave my legs and anywhere else in a private space. Also, emptying a menstrual cup (or having a tampon string hanging out) is not something I like to do in a public space. Yes, everyone has a naked body, but maintaining your dignity regarding bodily functions/personal hygiene is a very separate thing to being nude, in my opinion.
Women who have had children may suffer from continence issues, we all have natural discharge (to a greater or lesser degree through the month) that may make a women feel she doesn't want to go completely nude at any given time. At swims, all the men pile into the female changing room without asking the women how they feel, with the cry of 'don't worry, we're all the same!' Yes, we are united in our nudity, but we still want to have the option of privacy at times.
As the naturist world is so male dominated, these things are not considered. I've raised them numerous times, without any change or even feedback on my thoughts.
This isn't to say the naturist world is hostile to women, generally quite the opposite is true, but these are some of the challenges (I feel) women face.
Q: How can we encourage more women to try it?
A: By offering events that are not male dominated and by offering a range of events that women would be interested in doing. The events/activities themselves should be appealing to women, with the lack of clothes as a pleasant by-product. Offering events that appeal to families is a great way to do this, as women will often put themselves in uncomfortable situations for the happiness of their children. Soft play being an example. But in this case, they will generally start to enjoy being nude. Soft play can only ever be endured!
Q: How can women help in desexualising nudity?
A: I don't think women can help on an individual basis, as we live in a hyper-sexualised world. Free pornography at the fingertips on every smart phone, with women depicted as being available and willing to partake in any and all sexual practices, regardless of how painful and degrading, is something that needs to be addressed before the woman on the street can do anything. Pornography is changing the brain structure of young people as they learn about sex in a way that a magazine or poster can never do and we will increasingly see the results of this in generations to come.
Porn aside, I think that there's a difference between nudity not being sexual and nude events being a non-sexualised environment. All humans (with the exception of a small minority of asexual people) are sexual beings. I can say that my being naked in any given moment is non-sexual for me, but I cannot say that for other people. However, I can expect that everyone is behaving in a non-sexualised manner, as I would if I was in a shop or a restaurant.
People get turned on by all sorts of things. I drove naked from a festival once to the local supermarket. I thought it was a funny thing to do and a good story to tell. I was bemused when the people I was with told me they found it a turn on. In the same vein, I used to attend a Bootcamp. The instructor confessed to me that he found the sight of the female attendees very sexy. To my mind, we arrived in our oldest kit, sweated a lot during the session and would usually be caked in a liberal coating of slightly stinky mud by the end...
Women can help by behaving in a non sexualised manner, which we generally do!
Q: What can men do to help in desexualising nudity?
A: My reply is the same as above. Don't behave in a way that belies sexual intent and the nudity is desexualised.
Q: How can we encourage body positivity and acceptance?
A: I think that every time we are naked, acceptance and positivity is enhanced. I think people should be allowed to undress as much or as little as they like and they shouldn't be pressurised or 'encouraged' to do so.
Q: What advice would you offer to women curious about naturism?
A: Try it! I'll come with you if you like! (Helen B’s note) Me too!
I've done many first time skinny dips with women I have become friends with, as they have often seen me do it myself many times, before they take the plunge! None have regretted it yet.
Q: What drives your passion in promoting naturism?
A: I just enjoy doing it. I don't know I'm a big promoter of naturism. I'm a big promoter of doing it myself and if others want to join, all the good!
Q: Is your family supportive?
A: My father thinks it's pretty interesting and is generally supportive. Other family members are very traditional Catholic and don't understand why I do it/worry about me. Generally, showing anything above the knee and below the neck (including shoulders) is frowned upon...
Q: Has naturism changed since you first got involved?
A: I've only been doing it since 2016, but there seems to now be family events within BN and more alternative events happening outside of BN, which is great to see.
Q: How do you see the future of naturism?
A: I am under no illusion that the future sees the nude and the clothed mingling in the streets (outside of the WNBR's), but hopefully there will be more and more things for people to do. Naked dining/theatre/leisure events offered independently across the country.
Q: Any other thoughts?
A: I think that events should be described as non-sexualised, rather than saying that the nudity itself is non sexual. Most men and women will appreciate if they find someone attractive. This is a biological, instinctive urge. The difference is in acting upon it. If we want more people (particularly women) to get involved in naturism, then semantics are important.
If I was stood in front of the naked dream boys and told that I wouldn't find their nudity sexual, I would be very sceptical of that claim. (Of course, I am a married woman and wouldn't allow these thoughts to impact my behaviour, but the thought, however fleeting, would be there.) If you told me the dream boys standing in front of me naked would be a non-sexualised event, this I could completely get on board with, as it would be true!
If we want women to get involved, then trust is a key element. If they have never been to a nude event and they are told that the nudity happening is non-sexual, they may be sceptical of this claim and be cautious what else may be hidden that they may find once they arrive. If they are told the event itself is non sexualised, this is something most people (I think) can understand and appreciate.
