Choosing Sensual over Sexual

I have two images for you to ponder upon when playing with words:

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The challenge here is to tickle the audience’s imagination with sensuality, not overt sexuality, which is overdone, overused, and often time done in such a crass and vulgar manner.

The image on the left is my interpretation of the intermingling of hardness, curves, and depth. Three words that have an incredible impact on anyone, but because of our mass media obsession with things sexual, the first perception would be two people engaged in sex. But when confronted with an architectural wonder that is truly sexy for its perfection, mastery and edurance, there is an immediate change in mindset. It is the kind to scene or situation that can easily go wrong very quickly if not handled properly.

The photograph on the right is a celebration of feminine curves, body positivity, and the finer things in life. It is an empowerment statement, taking back lost ground the media campaigns have drilled into society over the past decades as to what the perfect figure should be. Sexuality is marketable, degraded to something that can be picked off a shelf and debased to no end. Sensuality, on the other hand, requires control, careful and strategic consideration of emotion, sensitivity, projection, and intellectual appeal. So when writing a sensual scene, let us not forget that sensuality is not equivalent to sexuality. The key is gentleness, not brutal frankness. A sensual scene can be something as simple as: a man at a table having a cup of tea as the sunlight falls on his fingers while he threads them through this grey hair, yearning for peace to finally take over.

It is not about using as many words possible to describe something to minute detail. Give the reader some leeway to use their imagination, play along with you, and indulge in a game of senses.