Time to read: 2 minutes
Witches, goblins,
spirits and fawns.
Once upon a time,
My parents used to take my brother and I to a forest when when we were very young. They called it “the Baba Yaga forest.” If you don’t know who Baba Yaga is, she’s a Slavic witch from folktales who lives in the woods in a hut on chicken legs. Insane, right?
I remember being in that forest and hoping she would find me. I wanted to know what she looked like and ask her questions. Sadly, I never ran into her, but I knew she was there and she knew I was there.
As you can assume, we grew up in a very atypical household. We listened to Queens of the Stone Age, Electric Six, and The Prodigy on our way to our Protestant Christian elementary school while wearing t-shirts with skulls on them.
On top of that, we had a remote house in France where we ran around naked. Singing made-up songs, and sitting around a campfire until dark, listening to an owl in the oak tree in their garden. It was awesome.
However, this was almost two decades ago. So now that I am older, I realize more and more how punk rock it actually was.
By the way, since the stork did not deliver us, let me tell you about my parents.
My dad was an anarchist and drummer from The Hague who played at Lowlands while my mom was pregnant with my brother. Eventually, he went on to become a successful consultant without a degree who loved music, photography and cycling in the mountains.
My mom is an artist whom creates anything she wants. Art exhibitions, fashion shows, self-written and directed plays, you name it. We occasionally do photoshoots at home, just for fun. Sometimes with a glass of wine and a lit candle nearby. Highly recommend.
Because of these influences, I am fortunate to be this whimsical. My love for photoshoots, fashion magazines and couture sketches came from my mom. My appreciation of different types of music and staying curious about the world around me came from my dad. And my ability to talk to different kinds of people came from both of them.
Having gotten lost from myself a little bit, I want to share my perspective with whoever needs it.
I always felt less alone in a forest where there could possibly be a witch, so now I hope to be that presence for others.
what does your boudoir look like?
Here you can spill your secrets.