We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nat Higgins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nat, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I have ever worked on as a sex educator is my Podcast, Gaps in Carnal Knowledge.

I first came up with the idea of a Sexuality podcast while I was getting my degree! I have a Master’s of Education in Human Sexuality Studies, and while the bulk of my training and education was geared toward in-classroom settings. We had one assignment where we had to create educational material that wasn’t face to face. Most of my classmates chose some form of pamphlet or website, and I somehow decided on a podcast. I had zero experience with podcasting, or really even teaching yet, but it felt natural right away!

I wanted to create something that was approachable. As a sex educator, most people assume I teach teenagers, but my focus is actually on adults. Many of us don’t get adequate sex ed (if there even is such a thing) growing up, and it kinda leaves us high and dry when we become adults. I wanted to create a space where adults could learn more about sex and sexuality in a way that normalizes the fact that they might not already know everything they want/need to. So far, the project seems to be going pretty well!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Nat Higgins (she/they), and I earned my M.Ed in Human Sexuality Studies from Widener University. I help break the mold of what sexuality education can be by allowing learners to interact with sexuality in all its messy glory and normalizing the idea that adults might not actually know everything about sex. I have a budding podcast, Gaps in Carnal Knowledge, that explores stories of sex ed gone wrong and how we all could benefit from more comprehensive sexuality education at all ages.

I first got into sex education after discovering I was not built to be a therapist, like I had originally planned. I was volunteering at a Sexual Assault hotline called MESA out of Boulder, CO and found myself wanting to change the entire climate in which we learn and talk about sex, autonomy, and boundaries, rather than helping in the aftermath of something traumatic happening to a person.

So, I pivoted to sex education instead of pursuing therapy. After a false start at San Francisco State for grad school, I ended up just outside of Philadelphia at Widener. Sexuality education is not my main source of income, but I HAVE used the skills I learned from teaching sex ed in every job I’ve had since. Unsurprisingly, it is very difficult to convince adults and organizations that adults need sex education. But, sex ed topics, like boundaries, relationship dynamics, and speaking about sensitive topics pop up way more often than you might expect. So, my podcast has been a side project that has kept my love for sex education alive!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

The glib answer is that my business started with student loans the second I enrolled in a Sex Ed program. The more realistic answer is that I started my business before I had the money for it. No equipment. No training in the required skills. Just a vision and the gumption to try to make it happen. I invested my own time and really leaned into the idea of “Just start. Make it good later.” I am still making it good, and I’m not sure that will ever stop!

Now my project is funded through paid subscribers and occasional sponsorships through Substack.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to normalize Sex Ed as a topic of importance. Under the current political circumstances, people’s identities and lives are being called into question because not everyone can understand where they are coming from. There are a lot of chances to weaponize fear when there is a general lack of understanding around a topic. And, as a general rule, adult are taught to think that they have naturally just learned everything there is to know about sexuality as they have aged. Additionally, there is a general idea that we have learned all there is to know about sexuality as a culture and a species on this planet. As if the limits of knowledge have been reached. There is so little room for the idea that we are all still learning, as individuals and as a field of inquiry. Maybe, just maybe, if we all took a step back and realized we each know very little, we would be open to continuing to learn.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nathiggins.substack.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathigginsm.ed/#
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gapsincarnalknowledge

Image Credits

Amanda Swiger Photography