What Happened When I Sent Nudes
By: Claire Lowe
Tags: This Happened To Me, Sex, Life Lessons, Relationships, Sexuality

What Happened When I Sent Nudes

There is more to it than just a picture.

Sending nudes is one of the most intimate things you can do.

This is the reason why sending a nude to my boyfriend was a turning point for me. Harvey and I were dating for almost one year. We met in high school, and it was my first serious relationship — I was still learning about how it works.

Even though we were young, Harvey was a great boyfriend. He always respected my needs, and I never felt pressured to do things that made me feel uncomfortable.

On a regular Wednesday night, we talked on the phone, and I decided to surprise Harvey. I had never sent nudes before: I just didn’t feel confident enough to take those types of pictures. But Harvey made me feel safe and sexy at the same time.

Without hesitating, I paused the call to take the picture and sent it straight away.

Here’s what I learned after sending nudes to my boyfriend:

How to boost my confidence

Contrary to my expectations, taking intimate pictures made me feel extremely confident.

The pictures made me feel insanely sexy. There was something special about seeing myself completely exposed like that. It was an empowering sensation. Even though my body is full of imperfections, I saw a beautiful woman in the picture.

At first, I believed that the pictures were meant to make Harvey happy. However, I realized that I appreciated the photos just as much as he did.

Through the pictures, I learned how to appreciate my body, which gave me a new sense of self-confidence. And this leads me to the second lesson:

Don’t be ashamed of your body

Once I got the boost in my confidence, my sex life improved tremendously.

When I became sexually active, I was deeply ashamed of my body. I’d worry about Harvey seeing my stretch marks, my bacon, and even my pussy. Without realizing it, these concerns had a toll on my sexual experiences. Sometimes, I’d wear a shirt or turn off the light. In the end, I didn’t fully enjoy having sex.

Now, I feel like Harvey loves me for more than my body. Besides, I understand that while sex is a physical experience, there is more to it — such as chemistry, love, and trust.

Losing my inhibitions in bed taught me that confidence could overshadow any imperfections in my body, and I can still have a great time.

Nudes are just as intimate as sex

Sending intimate pictures to Harvey made me feel vulnerable. At any time, he could choose to spread them all over the internet.

This vulnerability requires trust.

Harvey is a great guy, and I trust him fully. We have a mutual respect relationship, and only after some months, I felt comfortable enough to send him the pictures.

Sending intimate pictures to people I don’t trust would likely have the opposite effect — it’d make me extremely anxious. If you’re considering sending nudes, take a step back and make sure you’re sending them to the right person.

However, opening up to someone else led me to a great realization. For the first time in my life, I felt like I could be fully transparent with someone else — and I’d still be loved.

Even though it required a lot of vulnerability, there's a lot to gain from it when it’s done with the right person.