My name is: Michaela d’Artois.
My stomping ground is: Los Angeles.
I’m known for being: A writer, multi-hyphenate creative and, most recently, delving into my work as a clinical sexologist.
I’m talking about: I think we’re in an intimacy crisis!
Through my work as a writer and sexologist (the study of human sexuality), I have been studying how we connect. How we can achieve intimacy and closeness to others, platonically or romantically. Through one-on-one client sessions, writing, art and group discussion, I’ve been on a deep dive.
You can find it at: michaeladartois.com or @inner.eros—DM me, I adore a virtual love letter.
Before I started this work, I was: My background is in writing, with a focus on women’s issues and advocacy.
My interest was sparked when: I started asking women tough questions about desire and realized we have such limited language for it!
What inspired me to start this was: I have always been fascinated by the concepts of intimacy, connection and desire, and how they evolve. I think the most powerful way to hold a magnifying glass to the connectivity and joy of a society is to look at the sexual and relational fulfillment of its members. Working with so many women for over ten years, I found vast inequities in their knowledge of their own desires and anatomy. Let’s make sex ed cool again.
What I do is: I offer one-on-one sessions to clients as well as group workshops where we create an actionable pathway toward what you desire. This could look like striving for a more sensual embodiment within yourself, addressing long-standing beliefs about sexuality that hinder you or working toward a more connected relationship with a partner or loved one.
What makes it different is: My work is not hierarchical; I am not your guru. We work in collaboration to build toward fulfillment by finding the best applicable tools for you.
One thing you can’t miss is: My dear friend and collaborator Lucette Romy and I have come together to create a series of workshops in which we play with the ideas of humans as vessels, walking you through a guided visualization and into a hands-on meditation of working with clay. It’s a very special experience and you get to leave with a little treasure that you’ve made with your own hands.
My favorite secret detail is: Join our community art project @inner.eros where we will be having group discussions about all things desire, connection, intimacy, sexual health and more! This will be launching early February 2022!
What it means to open your heart is: To be willing to set aside ego and fear to feel deeply and fully. Intimacy at its core begs for one to crack their heart open.
When you show self-love, it opens your heart because: I often reference this little model I made that goes something like this: pleasure → power → productivity → prosperity.
Simply broken down, when you allow yourself to find pleasure in the act of self-love whether that looks like dancing through your apartment in your underwear or speaking up for yourself, you radiate differently.