[00:00] It was very early in the morning, my friend Christian and I met near my house, right before the sunrise, to bring this idea into life. When I thought about coming back on social media, It was clear to me that the only way I would want to enter that space again was if I had something valuable, honest and real to share with my community. So I strived for a feeling of rawness, simplicity, truth and vulnerability for the first comeback photoshoot.
[00:45] We hiked up to my favourite spot where you can see the city from a 360° point of view. I always feel really calm and peaceful when I go to that place so I thought “hm why not start there”, a place a truly enjoy so dearly in the city that I now call home - Barcelona.
[01:14] The vision I had in mind to create for this photoshoot was of my journey in the steps of self-discovery and self-love, the complexity that comes with that but also the beauty and simplicity you find in the process of it. I wanted to wear a nude colour to match my skin and to give a feeling of tenderness and sensitivity to underline the journey. I used a light cream piece of fabric to wrap myself up to also symbolise other stages of the journey. I wore no makeup, I did nothing to my hair, to keep it as natural as it could possibly be.
[02:18] This photoshoot to me symbolises the struggles and the difficulties of the journey but also the light and beauty of it. Sometimes we have to cover ourselves up, hide, wear a mask, run away and be in solitude to find the truth of what we are really seeking. Personally, I had to really dig down within, unraveled old thought patterns and false beliefs I had developed over the years about myself based on other people’s opinion. So this led me to be more curious about myself, to nurture a sense of self-awareness and self-love and to find mental peace.
[03:15] This journey is on-going and there is no end place you arrive where you have it all together and figured it about yourself. But from experience I can say that when you seek little by little everyday, to understand more about who you are, to find reasons to love yourself, to appreciate your uniqueness and your way of being (regardless of anyone who may have convinced you otherwise), that there is a tremendous amount of peace and sense of well-being that comes with that. This makes life so much easier, fun and beautiful and I can promise you that!
Thank you so kindly for listening to my story—I appreciate you.
With Love,
Raphaella Santana