I've been involved in the kink/BDSM/sex-positive community for 13 years
Ursula Moxie
I was looking to talk with a model participating in a recent art show in Detroit, and a mutual friend connected me with Ursula. Chatting over coffee in a Hamtramck cafe, I learned that Ursula is an artist with a graduate degree in Evolutionary Psychology and a minor in Studio Art.
"I've been involved in the kink/BDSM/sex-positive community for 13 years: organizing events, teaching educational classes, pro-domming, modeling, and performances. I am also passionate about advocacy and volunteer work for my LGBTQ+ community and fellow sexual assault and domestic violence survivors."
Because I'm new, I haven't found a specific style yet
Ursula Moxie
Those feelings led Ursula to form Murals by Moxie LLC. It has grown from painting residential murals for neighbors to have a piece in an Eastern Market event space, a coffee shop that hosts local artists and performances, a new fusion restaurant, a tattoo parlor, and an all-LGBTQ+ campground.
When learning about their creation process, Ursula explained that, unlike many muralists that use an aerosol spray painting approach, they hand-paint everything they do. This method can be a lot more time-consuming. For someone new to the transition from small-scale to large-scale painting, Ursula was faced with the challenge of learning the tricks of the trade to speed up the process. During this research, Ursula met an internal struggle: should they use a projector to aid in replicating their design? Ursula initially feared that more established artists would see this as cheating.
"The goal is making the client happy, so why waste time by fighting with my imposter syndrome?" They continue to try and find their voice in this art. "Because I'm new, I haven't found my specific style yet. Painting in a pointillism style is where I enjoy losing myself the most, so I hope to do more murals in that style. A lot of it is dictated by what the client wants. For some reason, I get many requests for trees, and I think they must have a universal calming effect." Their goal is to grow and do new and different things to succeed in this art world.
I am also passionate about advocacy and volunteer work for my LGBTQ+ community and fellow sexual assault and domestic violence survivors.
Ursula Moxie
Ursula is an artist who is also heavily involved in helping those who have survived sexual assault and domestic violence. They volunteer at a woman's shelter and in local community groups, focusing on prevention education while keeping trauma stewardship in mind.
Trauma stewardship is a concept that encompasses how, as people working for justice, we engage with the amount of pain and traumatic responses that we hold collectively in our communities and society.
They believe teaching people early on what consent is and how healthy relationships work is essential. The goal is trying to get ahead of the problem, not judging or trying to correct the victim, but listening to that person so that they feel safe and validated in expressing their situation.
Being a survivor of sexual assault, Ursula gets to transform the pain they've experienced into something that could help empower someone else by speaking out and telling their story.
For example, if your event is focused on education, you should create a more relaxed and inclusive environment. On the other hand, if your event is focused on play, you should create a more structured environment to limit potential risks. Ursula's goal is to create something more education-focused, using it as one step towards transformative justice, a series of practices and philosophies designed to change social systems.
"It's challenging because there is always something problematic with the social systems behind all the art or creative expression I enjoy. I think it is so vital to destigmatize the misconceptions around BDSM and erotica, to encourage people to embrace their sexuality, and provide safe spaces for new and veterans alike to explore their curiosities."
