Modern Sensuality
For our latest instalment of Modern Sensuality, we visited singer, songwriter and poet Ava Lily at her North London home. We spent the day together exploring how she brings sensuality into her daily life through her own powerful rituals and creative practices.
Originally from Bristol, she moved to London at just 19 when she signed a record deal and became a singer. Lily’s early career consisted of songwriting, tours and travelling with her partner and fellow poet Lucas Jones. A hectic lifestyle paired with the hustle and bustle of the big city, it was in 2020 that she explored sobriety and in 2025, her poetry page @softlittlenook came to life.
Fast forward to today, she spends her days writing and creating, while incorporating healing practices that are the true embodiment of what we like to call Modern Sensuality.
For our latest instalment of Modern Sensuality, we visited singer, songwriter and poet Ava Lily at her North London home. We spent the day together exploring how she brings sensuality into her daily life through her own powerful rituals and creative practices.
Originally from Bristol, she moved to London at just 19 when she signed a record deal and became a singer. Lily’s early career consisted of songwriting, tours and travelling with her partner and fellow poet Lucas Jones. A hectic lifestyle paired with the hustle and bustle of the big city, it was in 2020 that she explored sobriety and in 2025, her poetry page @softlittlenook came to life.
Fast forward to today, she spends her days writing and creating, while incorporating healing practices that are the true embodiment of what we like to call Modern Sensuality.
When speaking to sensuality, music is what first comes to Lily’s mind: ‘Music is such a big part of my life. I feel like it’s an extension of who I am. It’s so nostalgic and powerful, and sometimes a song will come on and I feel it so intensely, and I’m just not ready for it.’ She adds: ‘I know when something resonates musically because instantly I get goosebumps.’
“I know when something
resonates musically because instantly I get goosebumps.”
“I know when something
resonates musically because instantly I get goosebumps.”
In her early career, she would post videos of her singing on YouTube. ‘There’s a really special song called I Can’t Make You Love Me, the Bon Iver version. It basically paved the way for the rest of my life, because I put that song on my YouTube channel and I got signed from it.’ She adds: ‘Every time I put that song on, because it just reminds me of who I am and what I can achieve.’
We talk about which rituals helped her stay grounded then and now for her and her community of fans: ‘the things you do in private really set the tone for how you show up in the world. It’s really important how you speak to yourself before you do big things like going on stage, whether they’re affirmations or just conversations with yourself. Just remind yourself of who you are and what you can achieve and how you want to show up, and then it will help you to do that in that way.’
“The things you do in private set the tone for how you show up to the world.”
“The things you do in private set the tone for how you show up to the world.”
“For me, sensuality is all about slowing down, coming back to the beauty of simplicity and stillness in a world that is non-stop.”
A deep gratitude for time and space is something Moore truly values: “In moments of chaos or overwhelm, I am often in my head. We spend so much time in the control towers of our minds and coming back into my body is an opportunity to come back into the present moment,” she notes. “I love to move my body in a structural way when I'm practicing yoga but sometimes, I just like to put music on and allow my body to move in the way that it wants to move,’ she says. ‘Embodiment is also a way of being somatic, which basically means allowing the body to take the lead rather than our minds or what other people may be instructing us to do,’ she adds.
She moves on to her online poetry page: ‘I started Soft Little Nook because I wanted to feel like there was a safe space for sensitive souls. Essentially, I wanted it to be a soft little nook of the internet where we show up vulnerable with our flaws. I think the performative nature of being a singer can often feel like pressure to show up in a certain way and I guess I just wanted a space that felt like the complete opposite of that. Just showing up authentically as we are.’
She talks about her songwriting process and releasing songs out into the world: ‘That’s why it can be so daunting to put out music. It’s very honest; it’s often like a diary entry. You’re just writing to process your feelings and emotions.’ She adds: ‘I think it’s really important to have an outlet where I can write, and feel my feelings without having to explain them.’ She adds: ‘Environment is key, which is why the rituals part is really important, because you have to have the right environment to enable your creativity to flow.’
“Environment is key, which is why the rituals part is really important, because you have to have the right environment to enable your creativity to flow”
“Environment is key, which is why the rituals part is really important, because you have to have the right environment to enable your creativity to flow”
‘My daily ritual, I would say, is to stay sober every day. I think that’s the most grounding thing I can do for myself and my body. It paves the rest of my life. It enhances everything in such a beautiful way and enables me to feel all my feelings so deeply, so much more than if I’m numbing them with anything. I think we all deserve that. I think we all deserve to feel our feelings how they should be felt and not numb them.’
But what brings her joy? ‘I think joy is firstly learning that pleasure can just be part of everyday life if you allow it to.’ She adds: ‘The choices we make, the things we put on our skin, it's an extension of my art and who I am, even if it's underneath my clothes.’ She adds: ‘I think when we do these little rituals, it improves how we show up in the world to everybody else and how we carry ourselves.’
“The choices we make, the things we put on our skin it’s an extension of my art and who I am, even if it’s underneath my clothes.”
“The choices we make,
the things we put on
our skin it’s an extension
of my art and who I am,
even if it’s underneath
my clothes.”
“Prioritizing centrality and pleasure for me means taking time out of even the busiest days to pause and take a moment for myself, whether that is to sit with tea or to meditate.”
Pleasure is woven into her practices, to regulate her state and ensure she doesn’t experience burnout from her career a second time: ‘Meditation has really changed my life. It’s an opportunity every single day to sit with myself and be in my own energy before I put myself out into the world around me,’ she notes. ‘Meditation can feel like a warm hug, it can also feel confronting, it depends on what day it is and what I'm experiencing at that time,’ she adds. ‘Breathwork gives me an opportunity to analyse the way that I'm feeling. If I want to feel energized, I can speed my breath up and if I want to come into more of a calming and meditative state, I can slow the breath down. I can expand my breathing in order to feel more and expand my sense of pleasure,’ she adds.
And pleasure? ‘Pleasure is something that doesn’t have to be earned, and I think we can fit these little moments of joy and pleasure into our days. Things like tea ceremonies can be such a sensual experience. It can be mindful and meditative, even feeling the warmth of the cup can feel so grounding and comforting. The different notes and scents can really trigger different feelings and memories. Maybe it unlocks a thought or a feeling that you haven’t felt or remembered in a while, and I think that’s a really beautiful thing.’
“Tea ceremonies can be such
a sensual experience. It can
be mindful and meditative,
even feeling the warmth of
the cup can feel so grounding
and comforting.”
“Tea ceremonies can be such a sensual experience. It can be mindful and meditative, even feeling
the warmth of the cup
can feel so grounding
and comforting.”
She goes on to speak about sensuality in her creative process: ‘I think my creativity flows when making anything with my hands or applying makeup and skincare. It forces me to be fully present, and it can feel like an escape.’ She plays the piano, crochets in her spare time and experiments with makeup ‘in a way that isn't performative just for myself’ she notes.
Contrary to the stereotype of sensuality being self-experienced, Lily’s ultimate healing ritual is sharing and giving to others: ‘If I’m making a really beautiful meal for someone and being of service for others, helping people and not just being in self so much, it really helps in the bigger picture.’ She adds: ‘Togetherness is so important and I think if we can put these little acts of service within all day, whether that’s calling a friend, helping someone, making someone a cup of tea, cooking for someone, I think that’s a really beautiful way to get out of self through acts of service.’
Comparisons, a poem by Ava Lily
The good thing is that comparison steals happiness. It doesn’t steal your talent.
Because when I’m done with my comparing, it’s always still apparent.
That’s how I know that. Oh, her beauty doesn’t take away my own.
And you don’t have to turn my light to dim. To have a brighter glow.
I’m jealous of the sunflowers. July through to September.
We’ll hold in hands and spin around. To face the light together.
When we can stop pretending like there’s only room for one.
When we get there. It won’t be so lonely at the top.
Your talent is a gift that was crafted just for you.
You won’t find any doubles. It’s not something you can lose.
No one else can even see your path. They don’t know where to look.
But when you find it, you’ll be lit up in alignment like the crux.
So yeah, comparison steals happiness, but your talent is stuck with you.
So don’t spend your life comparing because you can’t erase the truth.
Comparisons, a poem by Ava Lily
The good thing is that comparison steals happiness. It doesn’t steal your talent.
Because when I’m done with my comparing, it’s always still apparent.
That’s how I know that. Oh, her beauty doesn’t take away my own.
And you don’t have to turn my light to dim. To have a brighter glow.
I’m jealous of the sunflowers. July through to September.
We’ll hold in hands and spin around. To face the light together.
When we can stop pretending like there’s only room for one.
When we get there. It won’t be so lonely at the top.
Your talent is a gift that was crafted just for you.
You won’t find any doubles. It’s not something you can lose.
No one else can even see your path. They don’t know where to look.
But when you find it, you’ll be lit up in alignment like the crux.
So yeah, comparison steals happiness, but your talent is stuck with you.
So don’t spend your life comparing because you can’t erase the truth.
“Prioritizing centrality and pleasure for me means taking time out of even the busiest days to pause and take a moment for myself, whether that is to sit with tea or to meditate.”
Pleasure is woven into her practices, to regulate her state and ensure she doesn’t experience burnout from her career a second time: ‘Meditation has really changed my life. It’s an opportunity every single day to sit with myself and be in my own energy before I put myself out into the world around me,’ she notes. ‘Meditation can feel like a warm hug, it can also feel confronting, it depends on what day it is and what I'm experiencing at that time,’ she adds. ‘Breathwork gives me an opportunity to analyse the way that I'm feeling. If I want to feel energized, I can speed my breath up and if I want to come into more of a calming and meditative state, I can slow the breath down. I can expand my breathing in order to feel more and expand my sense of pleasure,’ she adds.
Follow Ava Lily via @softlittlenook and @avalilymusic. Shop the full collection below.
Words by April Hollamby