If you enjoy this article and feel inspired then you may find that ANW is the perfect internet platform for you to celebrate your love of naturism. ANW celebrates the freedom and natural independence that naturism offers but also recognises the importance that national federations and local clubs holds in the naturist community - our past, present and future. We have a passion for naturism and invite anyone who feels the same to join us.
In 2022 we asked people to Get Back to Naturism. “A reflection of our want to see people enjoying naturism again after Covid lockdowns, to combat the misuse of naturism on the internet and an acknowledgement that naturism is about reclaiming the innocence we felt for nudity as a child and the acceptance of nudity that is built within our nature.”
In 2023 we created the campaign of Nurturing Naturism For Everyone For Ever. Promoting the idea that “naturism takes care of us and we have to take care of naturism. A mutually beneficial relationship. In the same way that ANW provides a community platform for naturists and naturists provide ANW with that community – giving it their backing through time, respect and funding. Neither can exist without the genuine intentions of both.”
These two ideas are just as valuable in 2024 as they were when we first wrote them. We feel that a new year deserves a new campaign to exist alongside these older ones and so for the start of 2024 we are introducing Get Real.
Once again it is a short term that can be read with many meanings depending on context and the readers view point.
According to dictionaries the term is used for telling someone that they should understand the true facts of a situation and not hope for the impossible or imagine a fantasy version – like telling someone to Wake Up! Or ironically suggesting they Dream On!
Real Goals
To Get Real About Naturism can therefore suggest that we need to be realistic about our goals. Society is not going to embrace the idea of humanity taking a clothing optional approach to life any day soon. There are too many fears, concerns and logical issues that get in the way. You can give the women of a town topless equality, but that does not remove the concerns they have about exposing their breasts – Are my breasts good enough to be seen? What will other women think of me? Does it make me an exhibitionist? A flirt? A show off? Will I get pestering and negative attention from men? Will I be photographed and put on social media? ….In a world where women are still judged for not wearing a bra, and female nipples are banned on many websites, being top free in most situations is still unthinkable for most people. So embracing naturism is a long way off. We need to see a lot of changes in attitudes first, and if anything things are getting worse. Paranoia about safe guarding children, stranger danger, the growth of sexual sharing and profiteering on the internet appear to be at an all time high. Confusion and mistrust about nudity and attitudes towards the naked body, particularly when it comes to the treatment of the female body is not going to make the progress of naturism very easy.
But let's Get Real - it isn't all bad news. There is a war going on over nudity on the internet and if naturism chooses wisely and respectfully it may well find that one the two opposing opinions on nudity start looking for a more balanced approach to the problem then naturism may be the perfect answer. There are a lot of people out there who want a fairer point of view to be considered, and support the idea that we should be able to live unashamed of our bodies without being brandished as perverts. If naturism can Get Real about the process and recognise the slow progress in the right direction then we may actually find that the journey for greater acceptance and an increase in naturism around the world is not to far away.
We also have to encourage a realistic view on naturism. Clothing is part of life, and it is at times a valuable tool, but there are times when we do not need to be covered, and it makes no sense to have to be.
Real Attitudes
To help with this we do need to Get Real about what naturism is. This means being true to naturism and ensuring that we stay true to it. As the world appears to be becoming more and more anti-social in its behaviour we have to ensure that naturism doesn't fall into the trap of imaging such behaviour is going to make naturism more acceptable and more popular. If we sell out for a quick profit or try to promote naturism to the voyeuristic and exhibitionist world of social media then we are giving naturism a short shelf life that may for a little while up its appeal, but long term will seal its fate as an unwanted and mistrusted part of life appealing only to a very small percentage of humanity that most people wish to stay away from.
It is true that naturism is currently a minority interest life choice, but at its heart it can currently be sold as a universal life choice that can genuinely appeal to everyone. If we allow an “adult only” approach to naturism to grow it will forever lock naturism into an unwanted life style, that can only be promoted to a small percent of people and will be clearly understood by society as unsuitable for most. Currently naturism is having to deal with being misunderstood – if we can change the misunderstanding then there is light at the end of the tunnel. If naturism becomes adult only then the light is put out once and for all.
If we Get Real and stay genuine then we don't just stand the chance of growing, but we also continue to offer existing naturists the life choice they opted for in the first place. We need to Get Back To Naturism and stay there.
Real Logic
There is a trend to sell naturism to adults only, to women only and other minority groups. Promoting an already minority interest life choice to a small minority of people is simply not logical. There is a fear that linking naturism with families is going to have the world shouting “Perverts!” But the truth is that the vast majority of women still have children, that the majority of society is made up of families including children under the age of eighteen and to ignore the largest group of people in the world simply doesn't make any sense.
If we Get Real about how we promote naturism and what naturism really is about and we ensure we stay true to that and combat the misunderstanding then no-one can suggest naturism is wrong for any member of society. To ensure it is trusted, to ensure that it grows and to ensure it stays suitable for all – we have to promote it to all with pride and passion. We can promote it to all genders, cultures, religions, age groups – everyone should be welcome to naturism. By everyone we have to include families. It is the only way that naturism can maintain a universal appeal.
Naturism is non-sexual social nudity, so why are we becoming increasingly concerned about encouraging certain gender groups and segregation? It shouldn't matter if you are a man or a women, young or old, LGBQT or asexual. Nurturing Naturism should be For Everyone For Ever.
Real Humanity
If we Get Real about who we are then we have to recognise that actually naturism is part of our nature. Naturism is actually a way for the whole of the world to Get Real. To recognise that clothing is an invention, that covering up is not something we should actually be doing, and a fear of nudity is a man made phobia created by modern concerns and fed by a sex obsessed society and encouraged by media and marketing. Our fake attitudes on nudity and covering our big business supporting all sorts of industry and influencers old and new.
Naturism allows us to be the people we were born to be. More comfortable with ourselves inside and out. We don't need to carry hang ups about our bodies through our lives, and we don't need to have alterations made to our bodies simply to meet imagined ideas of acceptability.
If society could Get Real about naturism it could indicate and initiate an ability to get real about a lot of other hang ups, social issues and problems. If we could look towards a natural approach to life, each other, our bodies, the planet, society as a whole, the large and small groups within society, industry and politics then we could find the world a much better place to be. We just need to Wake Up to what is important and how we should be living.
Real Help and Support
We hope that during 2024 people can contemplate what helps naturism and what doesn't. Be a little more choosy about what they share on social media and who and what they like and follow. We have to Get Real and consider the idea that not all publicity is good publicity. That some social media profiles belong to perverts, that some belong to people who simply post stolen images of strangers, that some people use naturism to attract attention, followers and cash.
Sometimes this approach can even spread into naturist websites and businesses. We have to recognise that some people place profit first, and that they are slowly selling naturism down the river for that profit. There is nothing wrong with making a profit through naturism, it is a life choice that should be seen to be successful, that helps it to get credibility and grow. There are plenty of individuals and opportunities that promote and support naturism in a very successful and caring way.
Naturists have been guilty of being so pleased to support anyone and anything that uses the word naturist and nudist that we have not been discerning enough. We are a trusting and friendly group that have removed our own barriers and become very open and honest. We assume that everyone else who says they are naturists and promote naturism are equally fair and caring.
We also need to remember that we understand naturism. The average user of social media doesn't. Many people mistrust nudity, many people are looking for kicks from nudity, and many simply have not considered nudity or naturism. We have to become realistic as to how all these non-naturists view naturism, view nudity and view the activity we post and share on social media and the internet. Something we may be happy to give the thumbs up to may actually be doing a lot of damage to how naturism is considered and understood. The best of intentions may in reality be putting people off naturism.
Real People and Behaviour
We first discussed this idea towards the end of the summer 2023 and there is a certain irony that the AI debate came to ANW at the start of December. We have taken the views of AI into account and considered it in terms of society, the internet, naturism, ANW and the ANW community and added a clause to the ANW Terms of Service to reflect these ideas.
Naturism is about people being real and in return it should then reflect real people. There is a growing danger on social media that we are talking to people who are not who they say they are. There is a growing concern that any images we see are fake. That news stories and celebrity gossip is nonsense. That fact is fiction. AI is simply adding to the confusion, and in a disturbing way. Just this morning we read about a women who was raped within Virtual Reality and that a man has been arrested in Genuine Reality for the crime. Can any of it really be true? As AI takes hold we will have AI influencing AI and somewhere along the line we will lose the ability for humans to shape what the AI thinks and we will be influenced not by over opinionated glory seekers who only care about themselves, but by machines that do not care about anything.
Naturism is about reality, about humanity, about being open and honest and tearing down barriers. We place ourselves in a vulnerable situation and put our faith in each other. I will not judge and hurt you and I trust you to not judge and hurt me back. It is an incredibly giving and caring process and is a huge part of what makes naturism so healthy and positive. This only works if people are genuine on both sides.
We cannot find a reality and comfort in our own bodies if other people are altering their images through AI or AI is supplying a fake and “perfect” view of bodies. We cannot become body confident when others and AI share images that show how they want us to look. We cannot become aware of the reality of others, when their reality is fake.
Sadly there are a lot of people on social media who just aren't who they say they are. Men who pretend to be women, to connect to other women (who are probably other men!). People pretending to be mothers to gain the trust of other mothers. People who have never stepped foot on a naturist beach who share stolen photos of young naturists by the dozen. People who reach out and say “Can I have your email address” with the sole intention of pestering you and sending sexualised imagery, or offering sexualised meet ups. People who send images stolen from a website somewhere and say “This is my wife!” or “This is me!”
We need naturists to Get Real. How many thousands of people are put off naturism each year because of off putting behaviour. Not just via emails, and the internet but also in genuine naturist situations. Bad behaviour in dunes, sexualised behaviour at events and pestering behaviour on beaches. Our time at a nationally organised family friendly event was severely marred by the attention seeking, bad behaviour of some of the singles there - particularly mixed with the emotions of too much alcohol and late night partying. The language, the topics and the drunken antics were not something we wanted to be witness, let alone have our children witness. If we were not already passionate naturists would that have put us off for life? The problem is that we never know. Those naturists that walk away will not be getting involved in putting the issues right.
All genuine naturists want naturism to grow and become accepted around the world. The only way this can happen is if they display Real Behaviour themselves and get to know Real People. If we expect every naturist to Get Real then we stand a chance of Real Growth and Acceptability.
Real ANW
It is one of the reasons we have the Free Verification service of ANW. It isn't about sharing your exact address, or birth date or even your full/real name. It is about painting a Real Picture of who you are. Giving people as fair an idea of you as they may get if they met you in person on a beach. It is no guarantee of good behaviour but at least it is a starting point. We also have the Terms of Service set up to help protect the community and the use of naturism within the community. The subscriptions don't just allow ANW to exist. We couldn't do this without your support! But is also encourages the respectful and genuine use of some of the features and areas of the site.
We want all men, women, couples and families from all over the world to feel safe on ANW and feel that they are part of a genuine and caring naturist community. We are well aware that much of the internet is not welcoming to women, couples and families and that is something we feel is totally unacceptable on ANW. Everyone should feel that they can share their naturism in comfort, and not be pestered or mistreated.
We cannot guarantee this but we do guarantee that if anyone offends you through their public or private activity then we will help put it right and protect your right to enjoy naturism and ANW as it should be enjoyed. Which is why we ask every one to Protect Yourself, Protect ANW and Protect Naturism if you suffer in silence, or worse still walk away, then the person will simply carry on upsetting others, undermining what we are doing here on ANW and damaging our amazing life choice.
Part of recognising the Real ANW is also seeing the opportunities the community offers. A place to share photographs, activity, friendships, your writing and thoughts in a community that welcomes naturism and will treat you without judgement. Where women can feel free of flirtatious comments, where naturism is understood and not hated, and where families can be free from being accused of perversion.
ANW is a platform where people can share opinions and naturist opportunity can promote their venues, events and clubs to a genuine market. There is an idea that putting something on large social media is seen by millions, but in reality, only a small percent of users are naturists and only a miniscule percent of those actually see the activity. On ANW you share your activity as a writer or an enterprise with a naturist audience through the use of the site, the monthly newsletter and also relevant posts that we share to many thousands of followers around the internet. The cost of promoting with ANW is incredibly realistic too! We want everyone to feel that they can afford to get involved.
ANW fights passionately for Real Naturism on a full-time basis and we are delighted that the community continues to grow in strength and conviction every month.
As 2024 starts we know that when we ask people to Get Real with Naturism and Get Real with ANW that we are not simply using words for the sake of words. It is a conviction and a belief in Naturism and ANW that we will work on every day in 2024 and beyond.
Join our campaign to Get Real! And help us to grow and protect Real Naturism for Everyone For Ever!
It is going to be another amazing year, thanks for reading Anna, Steve and Boys
© 2024 www.anaturistworld.com All Rights Reserved -
Anna and Steve have shared over 200 articles and blog posts on www.anaturistworld.com and write regularly for naturist publications. If you would like to collaborate with them on any naturist / nudist promotional activity, articles or interviews or quote from any of their work please contact them via email at [email protected]
