TNB - History

The History.

The Nude Blogger was born in 2016…just a few months after I returned home from a life-changing 7 month solo backpacking trip.

That trip changed me, my values and my life. I did a 180 on so many of the principles I had built my life upon. I turned my back on my politics and economics degree that I had worked so hard for. I turned down a job in a political office that was handed to me on a silver platter upon my return to Australia after backpacking. I rejected the mainstream path and even had friends fall by the wayside as I evolved into a different version of myself. I had a full blown spiritual awakening on that trip without even realising it at the time.

When I was backpacking, my adventures and spontaneity constantly had fellow hostel-mates saying ‘why don’t you write a blog about that?’ ‘You should start a blog…I would read it!’ Especially when it came to my more nude-oriented experiences (going to nude beaches etc).

But after going vegan on that trip in 2015, I had initially planned to start a blog about ‘conscious living’ and share about my vegan journey. I wanted to share about my healthy recipes and lifestyle so as to inspire others to adopt a more healthy lifestyle.

And then I met my partner at the beginning of 2016 and this is when the seed for ‘The Nude Blogger’ would be planted…

I actually met him when I was on a girls trip in Byron Bay and was frantically looking for a nude beach in Byron Bay (it was New Years Day, I was hung over and I needed to be naked on a nude beach for a ceremony my girlfriends and I were wanting to do during a very specific window of time that correlated with a cosmic event! So, yes, I was frantic!) He was about to head out for a surf and got my number.

A few days later, I found myself in Noosa and, much to my surprise and delight, discovered a nudist retreat at which I decided to spend a couple of nights. My partner and I decided we wanted to see each other again before I headed back to Victoria. And, so, he drove the 3 hours from the Gold Coast to Noosa to pick me up from this nudist retreat. On the drive back to the Gold Coast, I told him all about it and he was fascinated and intrigued. He said, ‘you should write about this in your blog’…and it was the seed that was planted and grew and grew.

Over the years, the blog has evolved with me…

But one thing has always remained at its core: my passion in sharing about and advocating for the naturist lifestyle. A part of my mission in doing so has always been to help normalise non-sexual social nudity by also de-stigmatising the lifestyle by educating others about it and providing insight, resources and tools learnt and acquired from first-hand and lived experience in the lifestyle. And sharing in a way that is authentic and representative of the lifestyle. And my experience in it as a woman.

2016.

Launching The Nude Blogger on Instagram

  • TNB was launched on Instagram in October 2016…and I initially built it with the aim to have my identity anonymous. And I did so for the first nine months of its life. That’s right…you didn’t see my face anywhere on my grid for the first nine months (you’ll soon find out why I decided to relinquish my anonymity).

    As a very multi-faceted, multi-dimensional human, I initially found it difficult to stick to just one topic. I even launched my Instagram with weekly topics like ‘scandalous secrets in 68 word or less’. When I launched TNB, I wanted to not only talk about naturism, but also about conscious lifestyle choices, veganism, taboo topics such as ‘fetish’, ‘BDSM’, ‘sex’, ‘polyamory’ and the likes. And I initially chose to remain anonymous because I wanted to be able to open up serious dialogue about these ‘controversial’ topics without having the focus be on me as an individual. My overall aim was to cultivate more tolerance and open-mindedness by sharing lifestyle choices that went against the ‘norm’.

    But with my growing personal involvement and interest in the naturist lifestyle specifically, TNB organically reflected this journey and ultimately became synonymous with the topic of ‘naturism’. Naturally, I came to refine what TNB stood for…

    And, so, I spent 2016 diligently building my presence on the platform and more deeply exploring naturism through my personal experiences.

    And…well, you could say it has been a turbulent and toxic kind of relationship between Instagram and I ever since…to say the least!

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2017.

The Nude Blogger gets worldwide attention

  • News of TNB spread like wildfire after I kicked up a media storm when Instagram abruptly deactivated my account in 2017. Having amassed over 40K followers at the time, I had worked hard for what I had built. I wasn’t going to just lay down.

    Women spreading their legs in little more than a piece of material that only just covered their bits. Women posting very obviously sexually provocative and suggestive content, but it being allowed because they have a bit of string on??? And here I am, posting a picture of me, nude and natural in nature, getting banned. What, because my butt was in it? But hey…if there were a piece of string it would be ok? Nope. I wasn’t falling for it.

    What was obvious to me was that it was ok to be sexually suggestive and explicit, so long as you had the most minimal bit of material barely covering you. But what wasn’t ok was a completely natural and non-suggestive photo of me nude in nature (ps…I only ever posted uncensored photos from behind…obviously never full frontal nudity).

    And after seeing what the ‘norm’ was on the platform, what was prevalent, I decided I was sick of the double standards and would speak out about it in my attempt to get my account back.

    So, drawing upon my experience of having worked in a political office for four years, I drafted up a media release and sent it out to every media outlet I could find; just hoping that someone might pick it up.

    Sure enough. My story got picked up. One media outlet, and then another. Suddenly, media outlets all over the world started sharing my story and my plight.

    After being approached by a TV news channel, I decided to do my first ever news interview and, in doing so, had to let go of my hopes at remaining anonymous. So, after nine months of anonymity on my Instagram account, my face was revealed on national news when I was interviewed about the incident.

    With countless media reports and making headlines all across the globe, my attempts to have my account reinstated were successful. It may have taken 3 weeks, but I was back up…and with the exposure, so was my following.

  • After completing my yoga teacher training in 2016, I was so excited to finally offer this to my community as a way of bringing together fellow nudies in a safe and respectful environment whilst also facilitating a transformative body-positive experience. Along the way, I met so many amazing people and formed real friendships and a community built upon unity and camaradarie.

2018.

FEMPOWERMENT is born

After introducing mixed gender naked yoga classes to my community in 2017, I began hosting women’s only naked yoga immersions.

These 3.5 hour workshops were devoted to empowering women; guiding them through an alchemical integration of yoga, intuitive movement, embodiment practices, meditation, breath work, mantras and affirmations. The intention behind these workshops was to support women in rediscovering their nudity in a safe, supportive and respectful space where they would be guided through practices and given tools to be able to facilitate the deepening of their connection with their body.

2019.

  • This was the year that I took the leap. The year that required me to show my faith in what I knew to be my mission.

    The reality was that I had spent the past 3 years juggling a part-time retail job (out of necessity) that barely covered my weekly expenses (rent, food, petrol etc) and a blog that was operating at a pace that required full-time hours, yet didn’t bring in a cent.

    Yes, I made a little bit of money whenever I’d host a naked yoga class, but nowhere near enough to be able to financially support myself…as I was only hosting a class every month or two.

    I poured so much time, love and energy into something that was taking far more than it was giving back. I loved my blog so much. I was so passionate about it (I mean, you don’t work on something like it’s a full time job for three years even though it’s not bringing in a cent if you’re not passionate about it, right?)! For me, it was a line of work that was purpose-driven. Work that lit me up whilst also helping others. My blog was how I would be of service to the world. But, essentially, it felt like I was working a part-time retail job AND running a full-time blog/business…and all on a part-time retail wage.

    Something had to change.

    I was tired and operating from a place of depletion and survival. And even though I loved my blog, I refused to allow myself to get to a point where I would come to resent it. So it was either continue on this unsustainable trajectory and give up on it in the end; OR, do the crazy thing and trust in the faith I had in my blog this whole time and go in on it even harder…

    Well, you know which one I went with…

    I decided to quit my retail job and focus on my blog full time. A date came to me in a meditation I did around the new year, and I ran with it. I put in my resignation for 12 February 2019 and had the support of my partner who had always been my biggest cheerleader.

    So, after leaving my retail job, I sat down at my desk every day and worked on TNB full time. And I worked my little butt off. I hosted more yoga classes, wrote blogs, put together media kits, took some of my affiliations more seriously…

    And, still, I felt like I gave so much and got so little. I was sick of living in martyrdom. In order for me to thrive, in order for the blog to thrive, I had to figure out how to monetise things without compromising my integrity.

    I got to a point where my self-worth was being reflected back to me; and I thought ‘I deserve to receive like I give. I am worthy of this!’ And in my maturation as a person, and in hindsight, I realised that we only ever really continue to give and give without receiving when we don’t believe we are worthy of receiving. And that was a huge spiritual lesson for me in all of this.

    It was this realisation, and taking aligned action, that truly shifted my reality.

    ‘Patreon’ rang in my ears after years of hearing it as a suggestion from those within my community. And so, toward the backend of the year, I started working away on building myself a Patreon page…

  • After numerous bans and consequently more public battles with Instagram, I rallied my community to send an email to some head honchos requesting that Instagram ‘verify’ The Nude Blogger with the hopes that this might legitimate TNB in the eyes of the platform and, consequently, stop the bans. And this was back when you couldn’t simply purchase that little blue tick. The days when seeing a blue tick on an account meant that they were legitimate, credible and known in their field. The days when a blue tick was only granted to one by the Instagram gods. Back then, in the social media world, a blue tick on Instagram was a big flex.

    Not long after we rallied with email campaigns, I woke up with a shocking notification on Instagram…

    The Nude Blogger had been VERIFIED! And after years of battling the beast that is Instagram…this was a HUGE win. This was an acknowledgment of my legitimacy and work in the field. These were the days before you could buy that little blue tick. It was like the Instagram gods had looked down and said, ‘Ok, we see you. You’re a pretty big deal and we acknowledge it.’

    So, given the history between Instagram and I over the years (as you’ve probably come to understand), this event in the TNB timeline was a pretty big deal!

2020.

The year that finally saw TNB become financially viable and self-sufficient.

  • After years of working away at my blog, I launched my Patreon at the beginning of January…and it was as if the universe clapped, gave me a big pat on the back and said ‘finally, well done’. Because it was a move it had obviously been waiting for me to make…and one my community had too.

    Within a matter of hours of launching to my mailing list, I got a glimpse into what would become more than enough for a full-time salary. I cried. I wept tears of joy. Tears of overwhelm and gratitude.

    The launch of my Patreon ultimately symbolised a reflection of me finally valuing my worth, my work and my time. It was me putting a dollar amount on some of my content. Simultaneously, it was a reassurance that people wanted to pay me for my work because they valued me as a content creator and believed in what I was sharing and wanted to continue seeing me do what I do.

    In choosing myself, I was also choosing my blog. I would no longer be in survival mode. I would now be able to pursue TNB with more time, more resources and more joy. And this would all show through the growth and expansion of my work and creative projects.

    The launch and success of my Patreon revealed just how supportive my community were and how much they wanted to see the viability of The Nude Blogger.

    And, til this day, Patreon makes up nearly 100% of my income! It is the very reason I have been able to travel to naturist destinations all over Australia and the world and share informative content with my community and the general public.

    Long-form video content would soon become a core informational tool at The Nude Blogger. And with the means to be able to invest in filming gear, I guess you could say that 2020 was the year that I really moved into long-form video content creation.

  • Feeling nervous but excited to really put myself out there in video form, I launched my YouTube channel in February. Other than the paid video content I was going to be offering, I still wanted those who could not afford a subscription on my Patreon to still be able to access some form of my video content. And, so, I decided to post completely uncensored, albeit, shorter versions of what I would post on Patreon on my YouTube channel. This was also my way of advocating for the normalisation of non-sexual nudity and the destigmatisation of the naturist lifestyle. I wanted people to SEE what non-sexual nudity actually looks like.

  • With the onset of Covid, unfortunately, my in-person naked yoga classes were put on pause. And, so, I decided to launch ‘Online Naked Yoga with Jessa’ on my Patreon so that both my local and global nudie communities could continue to practice with me. And over the course of 4 years, I created a comprehensive 'Online Naked Yoga Library' consisting of over 170 uncensored videos, classes and tutorials.

2021.

  • With the world facing a global pandemic, overseas travel was out of the question for me. And whilst I dreamed of visiting far away naturist destinations, I still had so much to explore in my own backyard.

    And, so, I booked my first domestic nakation and work trip to the tropics of Far North Queensland.

    A dream was realised. The dream to be able to travel, create content and make a full-time income. But, don’t be mistaken. Til this day, none of my travel or any of my stays have ever been sponsored. Everything and every dollar has come out of my very own pocket.

    But, proud moment in my world!

2023.

  • The dream continues. Since returning home from my solo backpacking trip in 2015, I dreamed of having the freedom to travel the world. Honestly, I envisioned and had been working at TNB having location freedom so that I could do such.

    And now, with international borders finally opening up again, you had better believe I was right onto booking my first international nakation/work trip to France.

    Over the course of a month, this Aussie girl would fly over 50 hours (90% of that being just from Australia to Europe and back!), spend over 16 hours on a train, and drive a distance of more than 1500km over 22 hours to cross France, from west to east; visiting 10 different naturist destinations…ranging from beaches, to campsites, to islands, to villages, to resorts.

    Another dream is realised.

  • And as one dream was realised, another one was soldered. Shortly after returning home from France, my YouTube channel was abruptly deactivated. This came as a complete shock to both me and my community. A loss many mourned. Up until its deactivation in 2023, the channel had great success; having amassed over 280,000 followers and averaging over 1 million views per video!

2024.

  • With the recent deactivation of my beloved YouTube channel, it was time for me to re-home my uncensored work behind a paywall that would secure my work whilst still being financially accessible to most. As a naturist content creator, unlike your mainstream content creators, advertising and monetising content on mainstream platforms is near impossible. And whilst I LOVE my work and what I do, the reality is that I’m also running a business. And, over the years, I have learnt that my work and running a business are two very different things, but two very different things that go hand in hand and rely on one another to thrive. It has been a steep learning curve, and the deactivation on YouTube was a reminder to solidify my boundaries and embody a deeper sense of self-worth by understanding that it’s ok to charge for my work. Because, at the end of the day, who’s working for free, right?

  • Whilst on Spanish Nakation, I woke up one morning to the shocking deactivation of my Instagram account. After all this time, and after years of what I thought became a mutual understating (and even official verification from Instagram before the days when you could buy it), I thought ’this has to be a mistake’. Sadly, it wasn’t. After appealing the decision and being rejected…8 years of work and content and a community of over 195K followers was gone….just like that. In the blink of an eye. This one hit a little different…for it was where TNB was born. And whilst I have tried creating numerous accounts since this deactivation, it seems as though Instagram has become more strict with censorship, and I just haven’t quite been able to catch a break on the platform.

2026.

  • And what a journey it has been! Wow!

    I have learnt an invaluable amount about both myself as an individual and as a business woman along the way.

    This journey has been an absolute initiation in so so many ways. Emotionally. Mentally. Spiritually. Psychologically. Energetically. Physically. I’ve walked through many fires to get to this point. And I’m sure I’ll walk through more.

    But, as you can see, this path is not for the faint of heart. It requires A LOT of heart. Resilience. Perseverance. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve had to restart. The amount of times I’ve had to swallow a very bitter pill. The amount of times I’ve had to surrender. The amount of times I’ve felt beyond disheartened and disappointed.The amount of times that have brought me to my knees…only to get back up, and do it all again. To rise from the ashes. Because none of this could ever take away from the gift that has been reading the countless amount of emails and messages over the years that remind me that my work changes lives. That my naked yoga classes and workshops have positively impacted and transformed the lives of the men and women who have practiced with me. Or that my work is the catalyst for so many’s liberation.

    And, at my core, I know my work makes a difference. I know it is my medicine and gift to the world. And it is an honour and a privilege to serve in this way.

    Since the birth of TNB in 2016, I’ve made various media appearances, radio interviews, organised rallies, spoken at council meetings, and continue to advocate for the naturist lifestyle through my personal blog and content creation.

    I look forward to the next 10 years and seeing how TNB continues to evolve and grow…with all of you alongside me of course.

    Because TNB wouldn’t be what it is without this amazing community of nudies who have, and continue to, champion it and its mission.

“Be bold in your mission to be truly YOU in a world that is telling you to be something else.”

— Jessa