My stripping experience has been largely positive, thankfully. I get told how gorgeous, interesting, smart and genuine I am multiple times a week. A man last night got a room and just had me sit and talk to him (which happens more often than not - I don’t do much dancing) and told me he could see how beautiful and light my aura is the second he walked in the building and he could see it in my eyes. I have a lot of very beautiful kind interactions with men- so much they wipe out the few and far between negative ones. I connect with a lot of people on an emotional and mental level. I do not see my job as exploiting or objectifying myself unless maybe you see actresses who get nude for tv or movies as the same way- to me nudity is simply entertainment. My body parts are things I was born with that every single woman on earth was also born with that men work very very very hard to pay to look at. They work for hours on end - usually hard labor jobs as my area has a lot of fishermen and construction workers for me to make that with very little effort. A smile, a head tilt and the money they slaved for is mine. I also try to work in clubs where the men go for entertainment— not other services. I am beyond grateful for my job and I feel nothing but gratitude for it, and look forward to my shifts every day even after 5 years. I am sorry your outlook on it is negative but maybe you’ve had bad experiences that lead you to view it that way. I am a beautiful girl with a beautiful body - I deserve to get paid for it and feel no shame or qualms about it because all I am doing and ever will do is entertaining and providing a fantasy, nothing more. And as far as self esteem… I think I deserve the attention and money I get and a hundred times more. I think I am special and beautiful inside & out and should be told that by everyone in my life (and I am - daily) so this job has only built that up. Also think about models. A lot of them literally have to sleep with disgusting men to get good jobs, exposure, fame etc along with actresses. Anything related to beauty will have that aspect and option. It’s entirely up to you. I could make a lot more if I decided to do extras or escort but my experiences would quickly change from positive to soul sucking and negative so I won’t. I don’t see my job as prostituting myself. I see it as me trading the attention these men would normally never get from me for the money they slave away for, which is a decent trade because I walk away w the real money and they walk away with nothing tangible; just a tease.

i don’t find “meaning” in my job… it’s a job. a way for me to pay my bills. i find meaning in the work i do for my community. i find meaning in my friends. i find meaning w my cat theo. i find meaning in the world around me - so many places to find beauty outside of the jobs we’re required to maintain in this society

I feel like some of you guys are being kind of shortsighted here. That, or you misunderstood/misconstrued what I said, or what I mean. Some folks are being kind of insensitive in the comments. They’re saying that I’m “talking down on sex workers.” When that is actually not the case at all, I’m 29 now, I’ve been in sex work since the age of 18.

I am a highly sensitive person, and as such, sometimes I leave shifts feeling empty, dumb, like a bimbo, etc. I feel disgusted and disappointed with myself. I feel really mistreated and terrible about myself when I am made to be bullied, assaulted, disrespected, or insulted, during my shifts. I have to cope with the days where I barely any money, or I made very little (not even enough for tip-out), or if I made literally $0. And I wasted my time/energy/efforts.

I feel this way about a lot of things.

I waste my life stripping… I waste my life sleeping… I waste my life watching and consuming content… We waste our lives binge-eating and binge-drinking alcohol, using substances, playing video games, masturbating, just any number of pointless things that suck up all our time.

Waiting in line, or sitting in traffic, is a waste of time.

Sometimes I just don’t even know why I try any more… 😔

I didn’t mean for this to get dark & depressing, but that is where I’m at.

A lot of things in my life have been extremely difficult or even traumatizing. And I’d be lying if I said this job has not been soul-sucking and pointless and traumatizing, at times.

Let’s all just please stop acting like this job is just sunshine & rainbows, it’s just soo fun and sexy and freaky and “empowering,” because we all know that’s not really always the case.

Trying to stay strong.

But yeah. Getting naked for $5; being called mean things like racial comments (one of the only women of color at my club); being followed and harassed; struggling to work in a state of sobriety because you are so anxious and self-conscious; feeling vulnerable; body dysmorphia… I can’t say it’s been a cake walk. Sometimes I cry AT WORK. Sometimes I cry when I get home, AFTER WORK. Please, try to have some empathy. Not every one of us just feels like a “Bad Bitch” all the time. Some people are really suffering.

Find meaning outside the club. Does job define you or has to be tied to meaning?

Do other things outside the club such as hobbies, interests and find vanilla groups and settings. Sure some vanilla People may not understanding stripping but that's OK. It's good to expand your horizons.

I find meaning in writing fiction and being creative and in my family and friendships. I'm also building a fall back career so that I have something when I leave stripping.

Dancing has its ups and downs for me, but coming back to it as a side hustle has changed me for the better (i have a career during the day).. I am much better with setting boundaries and speaking up for myself. It has also helped me learn my worth as a woman.

To those people who keep saying, “you need to relax,” “it’s not that deep”:

There is definitely something HOLLOW about showing tits & ass to customers (complete strangers), for a couple dollars.

Why are we acting like it’s the best thing ever?

Sometimes, it’s hard for me to look at myself in the mirror.

The things I’m doing, it does weigh on my conscience…

Girl it’s a job. Don’t let this stupid ass shit stress you out THIS much.