Educator Interview: Emma Mueller!
,What brought you to Speak About It? What Interested You In The Work?
As a young person, I found information about sex and sexuality from my peers, my parents, the internet, and health classes that at best could be described as “meh”. I studied the American Girl Puberty Book like a textbook and searched for the gaps I didn’t even know were there. I felt like there had to be a way to teach people about their bodies, hearts, and minds without shame and guilt, and even better with a sense of pride and autonomy. Once I learned of Speak About It through a friend and previous educator, immediately I knew that this was the kind of work I wanted to do, but hadn’t really found an “in” yet. And the rest was history!
What is a stand-out moment from tour?
Some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had with students are on the topic of asexuality. As an ace person, connecting with students and other educators with shared experiences was really impactful. Before going on tour, I really hoped the monologue in the flagship show about asexuality would spark conversations and questions about all the nuances of being ace and I’m so happy it did!
What is something that you’ve learned while working with SAI?
One really important distinction I learned that changed the way I think about sex and sex-ed is that “sex positive” is not the same thing as “sex pursuant”. Someone doesn’t have to be actively pursuing sex to have an open-minded and informed relationship with sex and sexuality, and it widens the scope of what it means to be sex positive to include folks who may not pursue sex often or at all.
What has surprised you about this work?
My friends and coworkers never cease to surprise me. Speak About It attracts folks at the intersection of a huge variety of practices and professions - actors, writers, intimacy professionals, educators, comedians, musicians, and more - and I think that’s what makes the work what it is. I don’t have enough room in my brain for all the nuggets of wisdom that have blown my mind. At the core of this work is knowledge, experience, heart, and a hunger to learn and share, and you need people for that.
How do you practice self care? (In general, and/or in regards to engaging in work that can often be challenging!)
One of the ways I practice self-care is by remembering that it is a practice - meaning that it’s not going to be perfect, and it’s a process, not a product. Practice looks different for different people and in my opinion, practice shouldn’t be perfect. It changes and adapts with you, and one of the best skills to hone is to listen to your body and what you need - and then to actually do it.
Why do you “speak about it”? :’)
I speak about it because I can. Language is really powerful, and articulating the way we think and feel gives us power too, to help ourselves and others. Right now it feels really important to spread knowledge and tools to get as many people speaking about it as possible, because there are a lot of people who can't, or don't even know that they can.
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