Pornography, if the term is to be used in a loose application, is in all good truth the most raw form of art that we as humans can create. With this in mind, we should be working to remove the stigma surrounding creating content that displays the beauty of the human body, the power in our voices and the intricacies of our movements.

To address the elephant in the room before speaking any further, this by no means is an attempt to defend the modern porn industry, as it stands in all of its exploitative, anti-feminist glory. It is no secret that major faces in the industry hold unfortunate ties to the mistreatment of their actors, especially women, and by no means should an unsafe work environment be condoned. Corporate commercialization aside, we should be speaking on the power that is held in this medium of content creation, when the acting artists also hold power in dictating their creation.

There is a reason that ancient Greek and Roman gods were chiseled in the near nude, or why brush strokes outline the curves of history’s greatest figures. Every human body, with all of its unique attributes is, by nature, a work of art as it stands on its own. To manipulate it at your own will is to create a masterpiece and to collaborate with another is to build a gallery.

There is a power in vulnerability when you, as an individual, grasp it by the throat. Sex is normal, and to shy away from the word as if pleasure is something which should carry shame taints the image of human existence. To be able to experience pleasure is one of the most promising experiences in this life, especially when so many of our experiences hold the power to yield pain.

To produce raw, authentic content, whether that be in the form of videography, photography, paint, print or sculpture, is to harness the power of love, for both ourselves and each other.

In a society which preaches body positivity and the removal of stigma in so many other areas, it is only sensible to begin studying pornography and its creation, as we would any other art form. Especially now, as gender expression has become such a significant part of growing in self-image and empowering one another to be proud of how we identify, pornography, or truly any form of self-expression otherwise viewed as “taboo,” is an art form that we should be focusing on when trying to grow within the human experience.

College is a major period of self-discovery in many peoples’ lives, and one in which the construction of confidence, or lack thereof, will drastically impact how an individual may develop.

To be open is empowering, not “unprofessional” or “embarrassing,” or any sort of display of “low self-regard.” To instill these negative connotations into the minds of proper consensual adults is damaging on nearly every possible front.

If reading this makes you uncomfortable by any means, then again consider the power of freedom of choice. You can remain modest, but stay non-judgemental to however others find they can empower themselves, even if this means doing so in the most raw, authentic and shameless forms.