​The story of Psykhe is complex, hence the borrowing of the name for our scientific words which describe the perplexities of the human mind.  Her tale is one of jealousy, mystery, deceit, shame, humility, kindness, justice, love—a long adventure which mirrors the woes and trials that women have faced over history.
 
Summarizing a lengthy story, Psykhe is hidden away, and entered into a fake marriage with a man whose body she cannot look upon (the god Eros, aka Cupid) due to her beauty stirring ire in the goddess Venus.  From here she is further mistreated by others, as her sisters conspire against her, which ultimately leads to her being made a servant to Venus, who abuses the poor girl.  

What appeals to me most in Psykhe’s tale, are the tasks that Venus sets upon her, and how Psykhe prevails each time.  This tenaciousness, however, is not always through Psykhe’s resolve to prove herself, as she often is depressed and suicidal.  Her survival is due to the kindness of strangers, who continually encourage and aid her despite Venus’s daunting challenges. As time goes on, through loss and gain, Psykhe grows.

​In many ways, I see myself in the stories of Psykhe—struggling with depression, brought on from abuse by others, but pulling through suicidal thoughts because of the genuine goodness of acquaintances, friends, and many times, complete strangers.  Her evolving storyline as a human (adolescent to adult, wife to mother) is probably the most real of the myth.

Photographer:  Jeannie Nadja
Model:  Jasmin Peterson-Hassan
MUA/Stylist:  Jeannie Nadja
​Headpiece by:  JNS Designed

Sometimes people ask me how I come up with my ideas for shoots.  It usually goes like this:

1. Color
2. Affordability for materials
3. Texture
4. An artist or genre of art
5. Color!
   
   

When I saw the photos of the red dress Kristen had (by Tygerian Lace), I was thrilled as this is my favorite color.  Immediately, I went about designing a headpiece to match with it. 
 
Affordability came into play, as I used materials that I already had on hand—paper.  Yes, it’s made from paper flowers which are attached to paper plates.  I also had a bit of leftover fringe on hand, and of course ribbons. 

Texture comes about in the technique I used to create the hand-rolled paper flowers.  I wanted swirls, with glints of gold highlighting the edges.  Also, I wanted texture in the background of these images.  Again—adhering to affordability—I happened across deeply discounted rolls of deco mesh at Joann’s after Christmas.  These lent themselves greatly to creating a unique textured backdrop for the shoot.