Purposefully Pursuing Pleasure: Reclaiming Courage, Connection, and Creativity
The Golden Rejoining: My Year of Kintsugi
I’ve been practicing intentional disruption. While I never officially announced this outside of the conversation I had with my former director, two years ago, I took a leap many would consider unconventional. I stepped away from my faculty role at a top university and declared a personal sabbatical: My Year of Kintsugi. Inspired by the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, this year became a metaphor for my own journey, where during this time, I began to learn more about my own fragmented life experiences weave their lessons into a renewed narrative that reflected purpose, compassion, and beauty.
This year-long practice allowed me to confront my wounded inner child, unlearn shame, and embrace radical self-acknowledgement while I frequently sat in solitude, savored nature, and experimented with creative expression. A symbolic moment during this transformation was when I coordinated a boudoir photo shoot—a vulnerable act that celebrated my resilience and redefined how I viewed old versions of myself. Voice journaling and other forms of artistic expression amidst serene landscapes prompted me to repair the fractured pieces of my story that took place during key moments in my life.
This process taught me a profound truth: life’s contrasts —our undesirable or seemingly unrepairable broken moments—are the foundation of our beauty. They are the stories that make us whole. The stories that make us human.
This deeply personal experience set the stage for something greater: a movement to normalize the pursuit of pleasure as a foundational pillar for wellbeing, creativity, connection, and innovation.
Purposefully Pursuing Pleasure Defined
Pleasure is not frivolity; it is fuel. It is the spark that ignites creativity, connection, and resilience. ‘Purposefully Pursuing Pleasure’ is more than indulgence; it’s an intentional choice to infuse joy, depth, and restoration into our daily lives.
For me, ‘Purposefully Pursuing Pleasure’ means intentionally choosing people, places, platforms, and practices that evoke unconditional love, curiosity, safety, and flow. It’s about self-accountability and designing a life that is both restorative and inspiring, anchored in the belief that our well-being is the foundation of our contributions to the world.
Science supports this: pleasure is tied to dopamine release, which enhances motivation, learning, and emotional resilience. Studies in psychology and neuroscience reveal that positive experiences improve cognitive function, deepen interpersonal relationships, and foster innovation. When we approach pleasure as purposeful, we build the capacity to face challenges with courage and compassion, transforming pleasure into a tool for personal growth and societal impact.
From Educator to Experience Designer: A Call for Intentional Disruption
As an educator, I valued the structured learning environments I facilitated. But through my sabbatical, I’ve learned the power of stepping off the beaten path and discovered a broader calling: to become an example, a collaborator, and fellow human exploring what life has to offer beyond professional accomplishments. Leaving academia to immerse myself in pleasure-driven exploration was an intentional disruption—a choice to break free from the hustle mentality and redefine success.
In this new creative chapter, I’ve embraced storytelling and experience design as powerful vehicles to nurture curiosity, courage, and creativity. Whether curating intimate workshops on sensual awakening or developing traveling, multi-sensory experiences, my mission remains the same: to cultivate spaces where people feel seen, safe, and inspired to grow while making new connections.
Pleasure, when pursued with purpose, is transformative. It’s the antidote to burnout, a catalyst for innovation, and a bridge to meaningful relationships. This realization birthed Purposefully Pursuing Pleasure – a series of enrichment offerings I’ve been designing to explore how pleasure can revolutionize how we live, learn, lead, and love.
The Case for Purposeful Pleasure in Our Collective Future
Our society often undervalues pleasure, treating it as secondary to productivity. But in truth, pleasure is a necessity, not a luxury. Pleasure isn’t just personal—it’s pivotal to our collective well-being. By redefining its role in our lives, we unlock opportunities to:
Innovate: Pleasure activates areas of the brain associated with idea generation and problem-solving.
Connect: Shared pleasurable experiences build empathy and foster stronger relationships.
Lead: Leaders who embrace pleasure as a personal wellbeing practice are more emotionally intelligent and they inspire trust, collaboration, and resilience in their teams.
Wellbeing: Intentionally pursuing pleasure helps us release trauma, break cycles of shame, and rediscover joy. Cultivating joy and intimacy reduces stress and improves mental health.
These principles form the foundation of my Purposefully Pursuing Pleasure enrichment offerings. While still in development and more details on how to enroll will be available soon, I can share that my offerings blend experience design, storytelling, and scientific research to explore how pleasure can reshape how we live, learn, love, and lead. Additionally, by redefining pleasure, we create a world where flourishing is not reserved for the few but accessible to all.
Themes and Benefits: Embracing Intentional Disruption
This journey is guided by themes that reflect the essence of purposeful pleasure:
Intentional Disruptions: Stepping away from “business as usual” to reflect and realign.
Pleasure Redefined: Embracing joy and connection as vital to success and well-being.
Sabbaticals for Self-Acknowledgment: Creating space to honor life’s transitions.
Storytelling & Experience Design: Using narrative and sensory experiences to process our lived experience and cultivate community and creativity.
By leaning into these practices, we can collectively reimagine leadership, education, and innovation, creating a world where pleasure becomes a catalyst for progress.
A Call to Journey Together
As I navigate this evolving path into my next chapter, I am no longer just an educator— nor am I here to serve as a guru, influencer, or expert— I am a guide, a collaborator, and fellow human navigating life’s complexities alongside other impact-minded explorers interested in uniting with me in embracing life’s golden rejoining. Through my ‘Purposefully Pursuing Pleasure’ experiential offerings, I challenge you to define and pursue intentional disruption in a way that allows you to experience the freedom in reimagining your relationship with pleasure, vulnerability and resilience. Together, we’ll explore how intentional disruptions can unlock courage, creativity, and connection in every aspect of our lives.
Let us honor our fragmented life moments and rediscover the beauty in becoming whole.
A Vision for the Future
This movement is not about escapism; it’s about transformation. When we purposefully pursue pleasure, we reclaim our humanity and tap into our full potential. By embedding pleasure into leadership, learning, and innovation, we redefine what’s possible for individuals and communities alike.
So, I leave you with this invitation: Dare to pause. Explore what lights you up. And never hide from what makes you the beautiful work of art that you are.
The golden rejoining begins here, but this is only the beginning. Please, BARE With Me.
To be updated about the Purposefully Pursuing Pleasure enrichment offerings and other ways we can purposefully pursue pleasure together be sure to sign up at MsMarisha.com.
