After a breakup in New York, Jessica Stahl booked a one-way ticket to Amsterdam with nothing but a backpack and a bold question: What do I actually want? That leap—and a commitment to draw daily about whatever was on her mind—unraveled years of shame and became Vanilla Cool Dance, a viral cartoon series that makes taboo topics human, humorous, and deeply tender. In this episode, Jessica and Mickelle explore how playful art can open the door to serious transformation.

We revisit Jessica’s iconic King’s Day street campaign—those life-size royal cutouts with the line “A true king knows who comes first”—and the citywide conversations it sparked about the orgasm gap. Jessica shares how she moved from calling men out to calling people in, and why anger, when alchemized, becomes elegant accountability. They also dig into what kink and tantra teach all of us about boundaries, consent, and the simple power of asking, “Are you still where you want to be?”

In this episode

• Choosing Amsterdam: Following intuition and building a life abroad from zero
• Daily drawings: Turning personal shame into a global, compassionate conversation
• The King’s Day takeover: Using street art to talk pleasure, power, and the orgasm gap
• Calling in vs. calling out: Transforming anger into invitation and change
• Consent as clarity: Specific, ongoing communication that’s caring—and yes, sexy
• Share from a scab, not a wound: Create after you’ve processed

Why it matters: Jessica’s work shows how humor disarms shame and how community makes the tender parts of life feel less lonely. This is about sex, yes—but it’s also about voice, boundaries, belonging, and becoming who you were meant to be.

Connect

• House of Peregrine — www.houseofperegrine.com — Explore memberships, events, and the Peregrine 
• PodcastGuest: Jessica Stahl, Vanilla Cool Dance — Instagram: @vanillacooldance

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