A Rose from Concrete

content warning: this post briefly mentions childhood sexual trauma

Mystkue Woods is a girl from South Philadelphia who grew up to become a Sexuality Educator and Coach. From a young age, Mystkue would travel the streets of Philly dancing and singing for the entire neighborhood to the beat of her own drum.

Her love of the arts encouraged her exploration of her sexuality as she embarked on a journey of self-discovery. Mystkue found pleasure in self-play; masturbation became her friend although she was introduced to it via a traumatic experience with a family friend. She learned later the power of understanding why honing her own definition of pleasure was important. The more she got into self-play, she became more intrigued by the ways in which people connect with their sexuality independently and cohesively in a physical, mental, and emotional capacity.

Growing up in the 90’s, Mystkue’s young body began to flourish, and her family and others in the community did the obvious of oversexualizing her, just because she was not built like the average teenager. At 14, she was statuesque and curvaceous and society told her she would never make it as a professional entertainer. This caused her to have body dysmorphia and she stopped dancing. It took for her to really dive into her story through poetry and storytelling to find the love of her own body again, hence why she attributes creative movement as a pathway to her freedom. Additionally, with shows like The L Word, and HBO’s Real Sex, Mystkue was introduced to sexual prowess and wanted to learn more about the essence of sex and all that comes with it. She began conducting her own research and analyzed how things like music lyrics and characters shaped her sexuality.

These experiences only made her more curious and Mystkue started to explore her erotic energy through reading and found a sensual relationship between herself and the arts. She danced and fell in love with movement once again. She specifically felt connected to contemporary modern, pointe, and African dance as it helped her become comfortable in her body.

When in the studio, staring in the mirror speaking affirmations to herself, Mystkue was able to push herself physically and use the movement as a way to praise herself for accomplishing flexibility, emotional independence, and vulnerability.

She began writing stories which would later become her “blood memories'', her written homage to the late Mr. Alvin Ailey. Mr. Ailey was introduced to her as a young dancer. His journey as a dancer and choreography changed the perspective of Blacks in Dance. He labeled the stories he told through movement as his “blood memories”. The stories Mystkue wrote discussed her experiences of sexual assault, depression, and her journey to healing. Mystkue encourages arts expression to be able to understand and restructure trauma for individuals who are seeking healing.

Now as an adult, Mystkue is dedicated to using her experiences to promote healing and changing attitudes about sexual health, one individual at a time. Her mantra is, Sensuality, Sexuality, Sentiment (Sen•Sex•Sen) and she believes these are essential components to accessing self-love, self-growth, and self-respect.

In practice, Mystkue will challenge clients and students to dive into their personal experiences to unpack past trauma and use the arts to explore ways to sculpt new goals and pathways in their sexual journey.

More about Mystkue (she/her), the sexuality educator

Mystkue is a sexuality arts educator specializing in integrating expressive art modalities, such as of poetry, dance, music, drama (theater), storytelling, and creative movement, to promote positive attitudes toward sexual and reproductive wellness across cultures and communities.

Mystkue is also an author, poet, and content creator. She loves creating work that encapsulates the BIPOC identities and their experiences with sex, sexuality, and art.

Specialty areas

• Healthy relationship skills

• Kink/BDSM lifestyle

• Body positivity and self-love

• Safer sex practices

• Pleasure after STI diagnosis

• Intimacy skills

• Trauma-informed pleasure

Professional affiliations

• American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT)

• Davondra I Brown Services (DIBS)

• Health Education and Promotion Solutions (HEAP)

• S.P.A.C.E ( Supportive, Professional, Advancement, Collective, Engagement)

Educational achievements

• Widener University, Ph.D/MPA in Human Sexuality and Public Administration (in progress)

• Lesley University, M.ED in Integrated Teaching through the Arts

• Towson University, B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies Performing Arts Management with Dance Concentration

How can you work with Mystkue?

• Ask about our intimacy, pleasure, and sex education & coaching services.

• Book her to facilitate a workshop or training for your community or organization.

• View service rates here.

Schedule with Mystkue