How did you find out about the BDSM lifestyle?

I was two and a half when I saw the first Star Wars movie. I went home fantasizing about what happened to Leia when Darth Vader used the interrogation droid on her. I'm not kidding, either. The other two films left me with equally kinky fantasies, all before age eight.

What was its appeal to you?

In my fantasies I was always the sadist AND the masochist at the same time. I enjoyed thinking about people in pain, and imagining what it would feel like to receive that pain.

What misconceptions did you have of BDSM before you began that have been changed now?

After I was a teenager, I felt like I had to be one or the other (dom or sub) but couldn't be both. I was wrong.

What do you hope to learn/teach/pass on to others about BDSM?

That it's okay to want more than one type of relationship, and more than one type of sex. The possibilities are nearly infinite, and I want to encourage others to explore everything that interests them -- even if "everything" includes seemingly contradictory desires.

Do you consider yourself a "lifestyler" or just an occasional player?

I'm having a hard time answering this one... BDSM is a major part of my life, and has been for as long as I can remember. But for me it's mostly a sex thing.

What do you enjoy about being dominant/submissive?

Dominant: I'm not really a domme, I'm more of a sadist. I like tying people up (especially cute girls) and making them sore and tearful and gloriously orgasmic, but I'm not interested in managing their lives outside of bed. I just want to play rough and then go back to being equals once we leave the bedroom.

Submissive: I'm very outgoing and aggressive outside of bed, so it feels wonderful to turn the reins over to someone else and just let go of everything for a while. While I think of myself as being more of a masochist -- I usually need at least a little pain in order to come, whether the sex is otherwise vanilla or not -- I do have a submissive streak that makes me want to please my dominant. I also enjoy the trust and intimacy that submission inspires in me.

What do you like about your dominant/submissive(s), if you have one (them)?

My dom lets me be myself and express all the different facets of my sexuality and my personality. And it doesn't hurt that I'm in love with him...