Meeting Our Desires

Episode 4: Feeling Through It with Deanalís Resto

We're back bbs! Coming at you with a sweet snuggle of an interview with the incredible, inimitable Deanalís Resto (they/she/he) - one of our favorite humans! Deanalís is a queer, Bouricua actor, teatristx, & campfire daddy extraordinaire. Alyssa and Deanalís sat down for a juicy convo about navigating the pandemic while polyamorous, the unique brand of codependency (dare they say COVID-depenency?) that blossomed during deep quarantine and how it felt to be revisited by old-traumas when we're in a space of rest and reset.  Full of poeticism, warmth and watery-Cancer wisdom, Deanalís invites us to expand our notions of the erotic, the self, and the journey towards healing. **please note that this interview touches on sexual trauma and what moving through triggers can look like, so take care and space as needed.** Also just to note that this interview was conducted last year, in 2021, but our reflections on it are from 2022 so we're in the time machine a bit, babes! Episode Transcript can be found at: bit.ly/MODTranscriptEp4 [http://bit.ly/MODTranscriptEp4] Catch Deanalís onstage currently at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and follow them @chupacabrita Podcast created and Hosted by Alyssa Vera Ramos and Jessamyn Fitzpatrick.  Follow us at @meetingourdesires Podcast Art by Dionne Addai @deedeesuniverse Sound Editing and Music Composition by Mariana Green @banyanboii

Special Announcement - Meeting Our Desires the Live Show Aug 5th + 6th

Meeting Our Desires,  A roaming theatre piece exploring  sexuality & intimacy during COVID-19 is here!  For those of you cuties in the Chicago area,  join us  Aug 5th at 6pm + August 6th at 2pm or 6pm - three shows only - at Walking Stick Woods for an immersive theatre experience in the trees.  RSVP HERE [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meeting-our-desires-exploring-sex-and-intimacy-during-covid-19-tickets-389565078637?utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=post_publish&utm_content=shortLinkNewEmail] Presented in Partnership with  Chicago Night Out in the Parks [https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/events?title=%22Meeting+Our+Desires%22&field_event_category_target_id=All&field_event_age_range_target_id=All&field_event_start_date_value=&field_event_end_date_value_1] Devised by: Dionne Addai, Alex Alontaga, Quenna Lené Barrett, Kara Celeste, Jessamyn Fitzpatrick, Charlie Fuller, Alyssa Vera Ramos and Elliot Sagay Performed by: Chi Achebe, Alex Alontaga, Quenna Lené Barrett, Jessamyn Fitzpatrick, Charlie Fuller, and Elliot Sagay Directed by: Alyssa Vera Ramos Associate Direction & Image Artwork by: Dionne Addai Stage Management by: Cedar Larson Sound Design & Live Performance by: Mariana Green Intimacy Design by: Kirsten Baity

Episode 3: Claiming Yourself (& your selfies) with Michael Turrentine

Welcome to Episode 3, Baby Bears! We’re back with another juicy convo with the fabulous Michael Turrentine! Michael (he/him/his) is an actor, writer, podcaster and social justice educator originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma and currently living in Chicago.  Michael and Jessamyn kiki about what it was like to be single, sexy (at times sexually frustrated) at the onset of the pandemic and how to navigate the loss of physical touch. They talk about uncovering the value of non-romantic touch, claiming your self with pride and learning to get your sexy selfie game on point!  Full of wit, wisdom and boundless compassion, Michael leaves us grinning from ear to ear while thinking deeply about the ways in which we can show up for ourselves, embrace new modes of sexual expression (nudes? kink? Platonic snuggles? We want it all!), and re-prioritize protecting our energy in a culture that likes to see us grind and hustle at all times.  Alyssa and Jessamyn reflect on the ways in which they’ve renegotiated their own boundaries and erotic practices and wonder about how this pandemic hits differently for folks not operating within monogamous, nuclear relationship structures - the polyamorous, the single, the slutty and beyond -  and what we can learn from that.   Follow Michael on all the things @mturrentine5 and listen to Michael’s Podcast How’s Your Heart [https://podcasts.apple.com/ee/podcast/hows-your-heart/id1502148831] for more Michael magic!!! Read the interview transcript at: bit.ly/MODTranscriptEp3 [https://bit.ly/MODTranscriptEp3]

Episode 2: Calling In Ease, with Kiana Lewis

Feast your ears on this sumptuous sit down that Alyssa had with  Kiana Lewis. Kiana (she/they pronouns) is a Black queer twentysomething navigating the world with beautiful loved ones and a spunky black cat, healing imperfectly. She is a pleasure and sensuality coach with The Expansive Group, currently taking new clients. Kiana shares their wisdom around navigating sex work, pleasure rituals, and what questions one might ask oneself to remain values-aligned in our relationships. They talk about what brought them groundedness and connection during the height of pandemic lockdown, and what it might mean to call in ease with intention as a daily practice. Kiana leaves us feeling rooted and roused to consider our own connectedness to our bodies, our deeper desires and ancestral dreams. Follow Kiana @healingisimperfect and support their work. For coaching inquiries go to https://www.theexpansivegroup.com/contact [https://www.theexpansivegroup.com/contact] Request Kiana! Read the episode transcript at bit.ly/MODTranscriptEp2 [https://bit.ly/MODTranscriptEp2] Podcast created and Hosted by Alyssa Vera Ramos and Jessamyn Fitzpatrick.  Follow us at @meetingourdesires Podcast Art by Dionne Addai @deedeesuniverse Sound Editing and Music Composition by Mariana Green @banyanboii

Episode 1 - Pilot!

Welcome to Episode 1 of Meeting Our Desires, a project about sexuality and intimacy in the Covid-19 Pandemic. Meet your hosts, Alyssa and Jessamyn! We spend this pilot episode sharing the origins of this project, including the key questions we hope to unpack together. This podcast is about to get vulnerable, so we also wanted to give y'all the chance to get to know us a little bit better...! Listen as we talk about where *we* were in relationship to sex and intimacy at the onset of the pandemic in 2020, and how some of those energies are sitting with us now - two years in. View episode transcript at bit.ly/MODTranscriptEp1 [http://bit.ly/MODTranscriptEp1]. || Explore and follow the work of some of the incredible folks who got us through those early days of disconnect: Sensual Dance + Self Care Coach Rashida KhanBey Miller @TheMessyMovementLab [https://www.instagram.com/TheMessyMovementLab/] | Astrologer Diana Rose @ddamascenaa [https://www.instagram.com/ddamascenaa/] | Polyam Chats by @SmallWorldCollective [https://www.instagram.com/smallworldcollective/] | Sex Therapist Casey Tanner + collaborators @QueerSexTherapy [https://www.instagram.com/queersextherapy/] | Sacred Ritual Spaceholders Sojourner Zenobia and Aarti Tejuja @Antara_World [https://www.instagram.com/antara_world/] | Tips from Jessamyn that Alyssa loved @SexPositivityTarot [https://www.instagram.com/sexpositivitytarot/] || Where / to whom did you turn? Share with us on Instagram @MeetingOurDesires!