Reminder: Self care Saturday is scheduled in advance, and I will not be visiting the site today. This is a “feel good” space to help us manage burn-out and return to our activism with renewed vigour.

On the theme of “feel good,” today’s Self care Saturday covers more positive and fun portrayals of BDSM. I’m going to recommend a subreddit called “BDSM Smiles.” 10/10 NSFW, obviously. Most of the subreddit does not depict the more hardcore practices of BDSM, but there’s still some nudity and fetish gear.

I can be very cerebral when it comes to explaining BDSM, but I think that particular subreddit does a good job of capturing the goofiest of BDSM visually. Basically, the theme of the subreddit is any image of participants in BDSM activities who are smiling, laughing, or having an obviously good romp. There’s some good-natured teasing of bottoms mocking other bottoms in bondage, people smiling or giggling through gags, and my favourite–participants who are obviously turned on by their practice but can still laugh about it. Nothing makes light of a bondage predicament quite like tickle-torturing your partner while they’re tied up. This subreddit’s one of my go-tos when I need some warm and bubbly feels.

-Shiv