The practice of pleasure with Dr Gertrud of Maeve

“There is no shame in your pleasure.”

Louder for the people at the back! Inspired by frank conversations around masturbation and the limitations of and dissatisfaction around pornography, Maeve is anything but your regular audio porn. We took five with founder Dr Getrud to discover how to expand pleasure and the realities of starting a business. Ready? And… relax.

HI GERTRUD, LOVELY TO E-MEET YOU!

Same, Charlotte! ☺

CAN YOU DESCRIBE MAEVE IN FIVE WORDS?

Conscious audios for healthy self-pleasure

or

empowering, pleasure, self-loving, conscious, expanding.

FROM INITIAL IDEAS TO MAKING MAEVE: WHAT ARE THE MOST CHALLENGING AND REWARDING ASPECTS OF STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

The most challenging are definitely tech development and sales.
Even though I work with brilliant app & web developers, we just seem to speak a different language at times. Bugs and update fixes are coming about regularly, but apparently that’s part of creating an app, or so I’ve been told by other app owners ;)

Sales & marketing are not my strong suit. I’m trial & erroring. I am extremely grateful and often overwhelmed by the support I get from empowered women though – they feel aligned with the mission & purpose of Maeve and feel called to share. 

Most rewarding is the feedback I get from users to finally have a tool to shamelessly embrace and further discover their sensuality and sexuality. That warms my heart and propels me further. Also, every time I get the final version of a new audio creation from my sound engineer (after many back-and-forths with writers and voice actors), I listen with sensual goosebumps and happy tears because each and every one of them turns out more brilliant than I imagined it.

WHICH STEPS CAN WE TAKE TO BECOME MORE PRESENT IN THE PURSUIT OF PLEASURE?

I am convinced that a light-hearted & dedicated play to expand our sensuality and pleasure is key. We’ve got enough quick-fixes to get us off (porn etc) yet these will not give an expansion of our pleasure nor will it exude vitality & creativity in other aspects of our lives.

To really genuinely love each inch of your body and explore different ways of pleasuring her – alone or with your partner(s) – we benefit from making the practice of pleasure a part of our habits. I can assure you though that this item on your ‘to-do’-list is one you’ll happily tick off ;)

LET’S TALK ABOUT FEMALE PLEASURE: WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS STILL CONSIDERED TABOO AND HOW CAN WE CHALLENGE THIS IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES?

We get bombarded with sex talk and images everywhere; social media, billboards, ads, movies & series. But in the comfort of our own home or relationship we often (literally) still grasp in the dark. I believe this is because sex and sensuality still get portrayed seemingly perfect: bodies that society glorified as the most beautiful, situations & settings that go smoothly, sex scenes that go from zero to hundred without a glitch. Most, if not all of us, cannot picture ourselves in such scenes.

We can challenge the weight of these limiting perceptions by taking the time to discover ourselves and our desires and these of our partners, without shame, and making ourselves aware that sex and pleasure can take many shapes & forms, can be blissfully messy, and takes time to blossom. 

CAN AUDIO EROTICA BE CONSIDERED A FORM OF ASMR?

It can be yes. But the audios we offer on Maeve are so much more than that. They are curated as such to not only give you pleasure in the moment of listening but also to expand your experience of pleasure, to benefit your body image & self-love, your approach to and perception of relationships, your mood and the vitality in your body.

MAEVE IS REWRITING AUDIO EROTICA WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL IMPACT AT ITS CORE: HOW DO YOU DISCOVER YOUR ACTORS AND ENSURE DIVERSITY?

There are as many fantasies and desires as there are humans so the inspiration and potential to create Maeve’s audios are limitless. Scripts are created by creative writers, sex & relationship therapists, health experts, and experts in orgasmic living from all over the world. I have met some through my own friend’s circle, others have been referred to me or have applied. If their ideas or submissions suit Maeve, we have an in-depth conversation to align on the values and mission of Maeve. We have creators from all continents and many different cultures and continue to diversify. The same is true for Maeve’s voice actors and singers. Real humans feeling called to share real feelings with a multitude of accents, it ignites tangible pleasure. 

Maeve’s sound engineer is a brilliant talent and transforms every recording for Maeve into a complete audio experience.

HOW CAN WE SUPPORT MAEVE?

Supporting Maeve is through your pleasure actually.
Maeve has about 50 sensual audios in her library as of now with fresh inspiring content added weekly. You can find Maeve in the Apple Store and via the browser, trial for free before you choose for a monthly or yearly subscription.

Until January 7, Maeve can be crowdfunded on Kickstarter with many yummy temporary deals to choose from, including personalized Maeve audios! These funds will be used to develop Maeve for Android and to research Maeve’s impact on mind-set & physical health (via collaborations set up with Ghent University).

Also, if you feel called to share your cheeky pen or luscious voice, then we are happy to hear your proposals for scripts or voice acting.

Thanks, Gertrud! Get it on with Maeve here, hit that IG follow button here and pledge to support their Kickstarter campaign now. Thinking about taking the plunge? Join the conversation over on our HANX Life forum here.