Meet Cait Taylor

We were lucky to catch up with Cait Taylor recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cait, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

The world of shibari isn’t the most welcoming to or inclusive of bigger-bodied people. This was especially true when I first got into it about 10 years ago. Everywhere I looked, I saw nothing but petite femmes in rope. It would have been easy to listen to the message, “You don’t belong here.” But I knew I wanted to do this; it was my passion. So I fought for my place, and my following online has grown. Over the years, I’ve heard from so many other bigger-bodied people that I was the reason they decided to pursue rope: I was the representation they needed to gain enough courage to pursue this interest. Whenever I have doubts, I take strength from each of them to remind myself that I DO belong here. My size does not limit me, and I can do whatever the petite femmes can do.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a professional shibari artist and educator, and I co-own Box Tie Studio with my husband in Portland, ME. Box Tie Studio is Maine’s first full-time shibari education studio.
What is shibari? Shibari means “the act of tying, binding or weaving.” It’s a style of Japanese rope bondage that involves using intricate patterns to bind and immobilize a person in a visually striking way. It involves the use of specialized rope and knotting techniques to create patterns and designs that both restrain the person being bound and highlight the curves and contours of their body.
I love shibari for a few reasons. The first is the art of it. I love the rope, patterns, and knots themselves, and I love the way it looks on the body. The second reason is that it stimulates the technical part of my brain. The intricacies of creating the patterns and the technical aspects that go into rigging a complex suspension make the left side of my brain happy. The third reason is the connection between the rigger and the model. The process of tying and untying can create a deep sense of trust and intimacy between the person being bound and the person doing the binding. I’ve built many friendships and relationships because of rope. The last reason is community: there are local, regional, national, and global communities dedicated to rope, places to meet online and in real life–if you want to meet people and make friends, it’s very possible with rope!
Box Tie Studio is one such community. Founded in 2023 by my husband and I, we are Maine’s first full-time shibari education studio. We teach group classes and private lessons, host rope social events, offer private sessions, and are available to hire for photo shoots, videos, performances, demos, installations, etc. We constantly have events going on and we’re open to newcomers!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think one quality that was most impactful for me was drive or determination. Despite rope being challenging, and despite the huge lack of educational materials and resources available in my area when I was first starting out, I continued to pursue my interest as much as I could and practiced frequently. An area of knowledge that was very impactful in my journey was my nursing knowledge; I’m a bachelor’s-educated registered nurse, and I used my medical knowledge to develop a class about rope & nerve safety. This class earned me a lot of guest presenter roles for prominent events, which helped boost my career. Finally, another quality that was impactful on my journey was my resilience. I didn’t let anyone’s opinions about my size get in the way of me pursuing my dream, and there were plenty of people trying to tear me down along the way. I didn’t let them bother me.
For anyone who is just starting out, learning about the nervous system isn’t very difficult. There are a lot of online resources you can use for that. If you learn better in-person, you can audit an anatomy class at your local college. If you want to learn specifically about how rope impacts the nervous system, I have a class on this on shibaristudy.com, or there are other online resources. As far as having drive/determination, you have to make this your passion, bordering on obsession. Learn everything about it that you can. Practice every single day. Resilience is harder to develop, but try to remember: why should you accept criticism from someone whose advice you wouldn’t take? These people don’t know you, your life, your journey–who are they to judge? Their opinions are beneath you.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

This one is easy: my husband Jack. He started learning shibari about 8 months after I did, but he caught up to me quickly, and then we really learned the rest of the way together. We went to the same classes, intensives, and conventions together, and had access to the same books and online resources. We practiced on each other. We helped build each other’s confidence up whenever we were feeling low. We’ve performed and taught together for years, and prior to opening Box Tie Studio together last year, we co-ran another group with a former rope partner for 5 years. He previously owned his own business, so his knowledge in that area has been invaluable as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://boxtiestudio.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boxtiestudio/

Image Credits

Caitlin Taylor, Everett Taylor, Lily Lebron