Being naked with friends is the best.

Some reflections on my experiences with naked friends. And ideas for nude socialising you can try!

Bums of two naked friends! An outtake from my own nude photo series Two Bodies.

This is an expansion of a question I answered on the Q&A website Quora: “Have you ever been naked with friends? Is it normal for people to do?”

To which my original answer was:

Many times. I’ve often hosted specifically clothing-optional gatherings in the hope of encouraging my friends to be more naked, and learn the joys of nudity! It feels so refreshing when people are comfortable enough, and willing to let go of taboos, to let themselves be naked with others; it instantly creates a more open and relaxed atmosphere. It’s beautiful.

It might not be “normal” in the sense of being common. But it should be normal, and could be normal if people let it be it. And it feels very normal (in the most exceptional way) when you are in that beautifully nude situation. So yeah, get your friends naked, it’s the best!

I thought it might be worth expanding on some of my social nudity experiences, in the hopes of inspiring others to let themselves be naked among friends too!

Clothing Optional Life Drawing

This is my favourite way to share nudity. On and off (depending on the willingness and interest of available friends!) for many years I’ve hosted clothing-optional life drawing groups. This lets me bring together two of my passions: nudity and art. My specific intent with this concept is to encourage friends to let themselves be naked in a social setting, by providing an inherently nudity-encouraging environment, which at the same time lets them enjoy some creative expression too!

The concept is simple, we all gather to draw each other, with each person taking turns to be the model. There’s no pressure for anyone to be any more undressed than they chose, but often the inspiration of a few getting naked encourages more hesitant participants to eventually join in too, especially when it comes to their turn to model.

Not everyone gets naked. Some stay fully dressed, some go partway. Some only get naked for the modelling bit. But everyone has a lovely relaxing time surrounded by at least some other naked people. And we all get to enjoy drawing each other…