How This Year Changed Me: Cherie DeVille Dishes on Growth, Gratitude, and Why Pleasure Still Matters

Hello, my darlings, it’s Cherie DeVille, back to share something a little more intimate than usual. As the year winds down, I’ve been taking a breath and giving myself the space to look back on all the events that shaped me. Not the highlight reel, not the polished moments even, but the real ones.

This is my end-of-year reflection: the growth I didn’t expect, the gratitude that surprised me, and the reminder I needed about why pleasure matters more than ever.

Think of this as curling up with your Internet Stepmom for a little heart-to-heart about life, change, and desire.

Growing Through the Uncomfortable Moments

One thing I’ve learned this year? Growth is rarely glamorous. It doesn’t pose well for photos. It doesn’t slide smoothly into a script. And it usually shows up when you’re least ready to deal with it.

People sometimes imagine that because I work in the adult industry, I must float through life in a haze of confidence and sensuality. 

This year pushed me to grow in quieter ways: 

• Saying no when I used to overextend 

• Prioritizing my mental and emotional health 

• Letting myself rest without guilt 

• Relearning what I actually want instead of what I’ve always done

That kind of growth doesn’t come with fireworks. It comes with silence, reflection, and a few uncomfortable truths. But those shifts changed how I show up…on set, in relationships, and in my own skin.

Finding Gratitude in the Most Unexpected Places

If growth stretched me, gratitude grounded me.

This wasn’t the loud, celebratory kind of gratitude. It was the soft, steady kind…it’s the type you only notice when you slow down long enough to feel it.

I found myself grateful for things I used to rush past: 

• The rhythm of a set where everyone respects each other 

• The trust that forms between performers 

• The fans who treat me like more than a fantasy 

• The joy of creating something beautiful with people I adore

Gratitude softened the edges of my busier, harder days. It reminded me that being Cherie DeVille isn’t just a job.  Being Cherie DeVile is a relationship with the world, one built on connection, curiosity, and the willingness to show up fully.

Pleasure Matters More Than Ever

Let’s talk about pleasure. Pleasure is my love language, my profession, and my philosophy.

In a world that’s overwhelming, fast, and sometimes punishing, pleasure becomes more than a luxury. It becomes necessary. This year taught me that pleasure is not something you “earn” after working yourself to exhaustion. It’s something you cultivate in order to stay whole.

Pleasure is: 

• Feeling fully present in your own body 

• Allowing softness where you once held tension 

• Letting desire guide you instead of fear 

• Giving yourself permission to explore, feel, and enjoy

It’s also the sensual, erotic pleasure that drew many of you to me in the first place. But what I realized this year is that physical pleasure deepens when emotional pleasure is tended to. When you grow, when you reflect, when you practice gratitude, your desire becomes richer, more authentic and more connected.

If this year taught me anything, it’s that pleasure doesn’t detract from growth, it supports it.

Lessons I’m Carrying Into the New Year

Here’s what I’m taking with me as I step into the New Year:

1. Growth asks for honesty

And honesty is far sexier than perfection. I’m leaving behind the urge to be everything for everyone.

2. Gratitude is a practice, not a mood

The more I looked for it, the more I found. Gratitude deepened my confidence and my pleasure in ways I didn’t expect.

3. Pleasure is nourishment

When I allowed pleasure into my daily life (not just my work) everything else flowed more naturally.

4. Boundaries are part of self-love

Romantically, professionally, personally — they made room for deeper, truer connection.

5. My sensuality continues to evolve

Being in the adult industry for as long as I have means constantly rediscovering myself. This year, that evolution felt more internal than external and it was delicious.

Why Reflection Matters — Even in the Adult World

People don’t always think of performers as reflective creatures. The adult industry teaches you to understand desire, communicate clearly, hold space for vulnerability, and listen to the body in ways most people never learn.

This year reminded me that being Cherie DeVille means embracing all parts of myself…the sensual, the thoughtful, the silly, the powerful, and yes, the growing.

Reflection doesn’t take me away from pleasure. It brings me closer to it.

Stepping Into the New Year With Intention

So here’s where I am:

I feel more grounded. More grateful. More tuned into my senses. More aware of my needs. More confident about where I want to go from here.

And I’m stepping into the new year with the intention to honor that. To continue growing. To savor the pleasures that nourish me. To hold gratitude as a daily ritual instead of a once-a-year exercise.

Most of all, I’m stepping forward with the quiet confidence that this year changed me and I’m grateful for every moment that shaped me.

Your Turn, Darling

Before you go, I want to invite you into this reflection with me:

What changed you this year?

What challenged you? What softened you? What brought you pleasure? Where did you grow without even realizing it?

Reflection isn’t about fixing yourself. Reflection is about honoring who you’re becoming as a person.

And I hope my story encourages you to honor your own.

With all my love,

Cherie DeVille