While I was conducting field research on professional dominatrices ('pro-dommes'), an unexpected discourse emerged: respondents repeatedly characterized themselves as 'therapists', speaking about their work as a form of psychological treatment for their clients. This article examines the way they speak about BDSM (Bondage, Discipline, Sadism, Masochism) as therapeutic. Data are derived from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 66 female pro-dommes. The rhetoric used by participants in this form of commercial eroticism 'on the ground' has implications for feminist theoretical claims about the potential value of classifying erotic labor as 'sex therapy' as well as resonance with other socially stigmatized erotic practices.

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Scholars have often portrayed the arts as a winner-take-all market. However, data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project suggest that many artistic aspirants who do not work within the arts still incorporate artistic elements within their diverse careers and often engage in art avocationally. Further, these individuals continue to mobilize the skills and human capital involved in arts training in diverse realms. There are compelling reasons to examine the careers of the high numbers of aspiring artists who do not earn money in this capacity, and to pay attention to their alternative ways of putting together creative careers.

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