Questions of desire and pleasure are everywhere around us, and they are most exciting when we explore them with openness and imagination. In our new interview series, One Night Stands, we put a few playful questions to creatives who we believe are interrogating these questions in the boldest ways – whether through writing, film, art, or other mediums.
Introducing Viola Parker, a Portland-based dominatrix and founder of the fetish space Sub Rosa PDX, who started her career in San Francisco. With a belief in the power of BDSM to transform, she teaches workshops and offers private sessions.
My love language is
Acts of service and words of affirmation.
Pure pleasure for me is
Swimming naked in clear blue waters.
I feel good when I’m wearing
Corset, heels, stockings.
I feel most connected to myself when
I’m immersed in bodies of water or sitting by the sea with my feet in the sand.
My most niche kink is
Ha, too many to list – maybe giantess fantasies and dollification.
One thing I’ve learned about desire is
It changes and evolves, ebbs and flows.
I’ve always wanted to
Travel along the Italian coastline to Sicily and visit the birthplaces of my Sicilian grandparents.
My best date was
Honestly, when I met my life partner.
On my nightstand you’ll always find
My vibrator, books, lip balm.
I always gather inspiration from
The powerful femmes in my life.
My ideal/fantasy relationship is
I wake up in a real nice house with a hot-tub, and all my student loans are paid off, and my closet is organized.
I’m currently listening to/watching/reading
Every episode of the You’re Wrong About podcast; How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollen; and a novel called Siren Queen by Nghi Vo.
My style/life icon is
Isabella Rossellini in Death Becomes Her – ageless and powerful. She’s a femdom archetype for me.
You can usually find me
At Sub Rosa restraining someone to the bondage wall; at Sanctuary hosting kink parties; or at the river beach.
Recently I’ve discovered
Gardening and growing herbs and tomatoes is extremely rewarding, calming, and balancing.
I wish more people knew
That sex workers and educators are doing important work. That sex work is real work. That our bodies will not be controlled by the government.
I love sharing
Food, drinks, my dungeon, ideas, energy.
The thing I couldn’t do without
Community and collaboration.
I currently can’t get enough of
Foot rubs.
The work of art that changed everything for me is
Nina Simone’s music, her voice, her strength.
The best advice I’ve ever received is
Let go. Breathe deeply. Stay present.
The last thing I loved was
Giant walls of ice. I recently visited a glowing otherworldly blue glacier in south-east Alaska, and listened to it make thundering cracking noises while the seals rolled around on icebergs below.
I’m most looking forward to
Traveling, adventure, what’s next for my business and expansion.
I’m most turned on by
A really good laugh, confidence, juicy butts.
