PR KIT
THE STORY
I knew creating a deck of Intimacy Cards would help me personally, but I didn’t realize how impactful they would be to everyone else who played them. It was a reaction to the pandemic-era isolation and probably a personal need from a childhood lacking in intimacy. I was inspired by the 36 questions to fall in love. I wanted to create an oracle-like deck for connection. Something more special than what was out there. I’ve always been a connector and an artist, this was my way of actualizing my purpose and helping other people connect through gamifying intimacy. THE DECK
– First run: 1,000 decks (66 cards/deck) – less than 350 remain, sold direct-to-consumer with no paid advertising.
– Explores and engages Emotional, Physical and Energetic Intimacy with original artwork created by me.
– Fully funded through Kickstarter, raising over €11k in 1 month, to 21 countries, 83 cities worldwide and 24 U.S. states.
– Second edition will be revisited and released as: Beyond the Surface – A Deck of Intimacy CardsBEYOND THE SURFACE - THE CONNECTION EVENT
Beyond the Surface is a 2 year old event series built around the deck: strangers are guided through all three types of intimacy, alternating partners throughout and engaging in deep conversations, playful physical connections and powerful energetic experiences. The goal is to have BtS events in cities across the world, hosted by passionate connectors like myself. – a complete facilitator’s training guide exists, making the format licensable and repeatable. – events have sold out and are also adaptable to fit various group sizes and formats (festivals, parties, workshops, etc...) WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“I happened to get engaged into the most interesting and encouraging conversations with the person I least expected to when entering the room.”
“There’s no pretentiousness or hierarchy - just true connection, lots of laughter and people willing to open themselves to one another.”
“It was eye-opening, showing how you can really click with people just by asking interesting questions and caring about what they have to say.”
“I was reminded of the ease on a playground as a child, when meeting as play mates for the moment. I felt similarly paired to the freedom I experienced in the rave culture that provided much needed love for me when I was growing up.”
“The great thing about those cards is that your partners’ openness just reflects your own and sometimes that openness escalate with each turn...”
PRESS & RECOGNITION
– Featured in The Berliner Magazine’s Best of Berlin feature: “Discard Your Inhibitions: Intimacy Cards”– Authority Magazine (Medium) – interview on connection and how to solve the loneliness epidemic among young people– Podcasts: Sober Sex Podcast – how to create intimacy without liquid courage or the like, importance of play. – On the Up & Up Podcast – Debunking Intimacy - interview following BtS event with live Q&A– Ms. Informed Podcast – feature interview and live card demonstration
– Healthy Deviant’s live Substack interview with Pilar Gerasimo on Cultivating Intimacy in an Alienating WorldWHAT’S IN THE FUTURE
– A revised, publisher-backed Second Edition of the Intimacy Cards, rebranded as Beyond the Surface cards. – Companion products: greeting cards and a guided journal built on the same illustrated artwork – A podcast pairing anonymous answers of questions from the deck with diverse interviews exploring Intimacy across identities – Beyond the Surface events expanding into a recurring, multi-city, multi-sensory dinner and connection seriesWHAT I’M SEEKING
A publishing partner who sees the potential in this deck as a powerful catalyst for connection among in the world. Someone who sees this as the first product in a larger world – not only an incredible gift item and self development tool, but part of a movement with a format that extends naturally into greeting cards, journals, events, and other art-forward, connective, activity decks. I’m looking for a home that can support a Second Edition and help distribute them across the U.S., Europe and beyond. 
LET’S CONNECT!
Sharlene Durfey François is an artist and connector, the creator and founder of the Intimacy Cards. Raised in a first-generation Taiwanese-American household in San Jose, California, she lived the majority of her adult life in L.A. and calls Berlin, Germany her home for the last 9 years. She was the bright-eyed kid who brought people together, always fascinated by the bonds we form and how they shape us. Today not much has changed. One thing that often surprises people about her? She recently turned 50. Her inner child continues to embrace her don't know mind and her curiosity sparks a deep connection with the world. She is obsessed with fungi and can often be found in the forest. Deep in her Mushroom Era, Sharlene continues to create art and events inspired by mushrooms and connection. @intimacycards