The Storykeeper
There are three paths. This is one of them.
“Someone needs to tell those tales. When the battles are fought and won and lost, when the pirates find their treasures and the dragons eat their foes for breakfast with a nice cup of Lapsang souchong, someone needs to tell their bits of overlapping narrative. There's magic in that. It's in the listener, and for each and every ear it will be different, and it will affect them in ways they can never predict. From the mundane to the profound.”
Erin Morgenstern
“You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.”
Erin Morgenstern
This was the hardest shoot I’ve ever done. It’s also the one that I’m the most proud of.
The Storykeeper symbolizes how books have the power to transport us into magical worlds. She is a queen of the liminal forest, a being who carries stories in her heart and trails them in her wake. The keys about her neck and in her hands unlock the many doors into the imaginary realm.
In creation of this character, I was inspired by my own love of reading and how books have offered me an escape during difficult times. The dress and crown the Storykeeper wears were hand-crafted using pages from The Night Circus and The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, two of my favorite books. The keys and the dice were also inspired by these novels.
I can’t express enough the love that I have for this character. She’s a living symbol of my own belief in the importance of stories. This project also proved to me that I can do complicated fantasy shoots where I make my own costumes and build a set. That’s always been what drives me to create the images I do—I want to make the magic feel real.
I now have so much more confidence in my own abilities.
Next week, I’ll be sharing the behind-the-scenes process of how I brought this character to life and the journey behind sharing the images. In the meantime, I’d love to know what’s your favorite image from this set? Leave a comment below or reply to this email to let me know.
The first image in this story is also a finalist in the 2024 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize. It’d mean the world if you could vote for it in the People’s Choice Award and maybe share with someone you think would enjoy it.
Thank you for all the love you’ve already given this character. To all the readers and storytellers out there—this one’s for you.
Credits
Photo, Concept, Styling:
Model:
Book Corset: Chiarra Marie Corsets
Skirt & Crown:
Assistants: Carly & Mara
If you enjoyed this, you may also like:
The Star Catcher
“A philosopher once asked, are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human? Pointless, really… Do the stars gaze back? Now, that’s a question.” - Neil Gaiman
“She’s a living symbol of my own belief in the importance of stories. This project also proved to me that I can do complicated fantasy shoots where I make my own costumes and build a set.”
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So glad the Substack algo lead me to one of your notes. These photos really stir something in me, the fourth one is my favorite. The text that accompanies them, on the importance of stories, yes to all of it! And I am especially thankful for the process reflection, I always enjoy those.