An Unexpected Defining Moment:
My story of becoming a MakeLoveNotPornstar
When I submitted my first #realworldsex video back in 2018, I had no idea that it would become a defining moment in my life. I had heard about MakeLoveNotPorn on a podcast and I really liked the idea of real humans transcending well-worn porn tropes and posting real videos of themselves having sex on the internet. I thought it was refreshing and I wanted to be part of that. That first video, I posted with the intention of crossing make a sex tape off my bucket list. I didn’t dare tell anyone about it and I didn’t engage with the MLNP community in any way. I posted and ghosted.
It wasn’t until I received a check in the mail that I even gave it another thought. Then I did it again; I shared another video because why not? Another check came in the mail. It wasn’t a very large sum of money, but it came at a particularly difficult moment in my life and the extra #realworldcash relieved some pressure. At the time, I was experiencing some scary health problems while simultaneously going through a messy breakup. On top of it all, I was in the middle of expanding my yoga studio business, all of which had left me emotionally and financially gutted (little did I know, there was a pandemic looming on the horizon!) Those small payments from my first videos helped me keep my head above water.
Months would pass before I would watch Cindy Gallop’s 2009 ted talk about why she started MLNP. I loved her personal anecdotes and her candid sense of humor. I could very much relate and it gave me an even deeper appreciation for her mission to show the world all the different ways that #realworldsex can look and feel. This inspired me to share more videos and this is when I began to tell a few friends about it.
The pandemic had spread across the globe by this point. My yoga studios were temporarily closed as the entire country was locked down. I attended a MLNP zoom meetup that included a handful of other MakeLoveNotPorn stars and staff from all over the world. Listening to everyone’s stories of how they came to be part of MLNP and why they do it was fascinating and comforting. It gave me a much-needed sense of community and made me feel like I was part of something positive in the world at a time when I was feeling down.
The mandated timeout of pandemic lockdowns and the fairly consistent income I was receiving from my #realworldsex videos afforded me the time, space and freedom to make some major lifestyle changes that may not have been otherwise available to me. I used this opportunity to spend the winter in Costa Rica, learning to surf with the person who has become my partner and co-MLNPstar. I then sold my studios and we relocated to the East Coast of Canada where we now live, surf and MakeLoveNotPorn.
MLNP has become an important part of my life over the past couple of years. I now feel excited about any opportunity to talk about my experiences as an MLNPstar and I love engaging with the MLNP community on Instagram. Among the greatest gifts that MLNP has given me: it has helped me feel more comfortable in my body & sexuality, and it has given me the freedom to work a little less and live a whole lot more. I am eternally grateful that I stumbled upon the #socialsexrevolution by chance and found the courage to share that first video.
Join the Social Sex Revolution today! If you’re interested in filming your own #realworldsex, check out MapleSyrup’s tips and tricks here. To see all of her incredible videos, look no further.
