#MorningCoffee
A visual exploration of what it means to be human, why it matters, and how to get there – at the root of which is a raw and primal connection with Mother Nature.
Inspired by mountains, forests, boulders, and just about any other natural element, I explore an innocent expression of power dynamics playfully intertwined with the encompassing features of the landscape.
These are today’s creative expressions of this project, but rewind to the beginning, where “#MorningCoffee” started with a mirror.
In the heart of a cold & dark Scandinavian winter of 2017, life as I knew it was falling apart around me. It was the first significant transition in my life that would symbolize a path that I would devote to a consistent death and rebirth process.
It is a way of life that may sound dramatic to some, but over the years I have come to accept the part of me that embraces the turning of new pages when an old way of life is no longer aligned. What else is there to do, but wipe the slate clean and set the sight on new dreams?
The journey begins with finding my way back to my Self – a healing process to rebuild the relationship with myself, using mediums of photography, writing, coffee, and… at the root of it all, a mirror.
Over time, I’ve alchemized the layers of healing to create an ever-evolving self portrait series that serves as a mediative reflective process where I find solace spent in the heart of nature in my most natural human form.
where it all began –
the journey to self love & strength through surrender
#MorningCoffee began with the simple purpose to make my mornings more meaningful.
When you think of morning coffee, what comes to mind?
Generally speaking, Morning Coffee signifies an energizing start to the day – but if we automatically repeat such an easy task each morning, it loses meaning. The potency diminishes, and rather than enjoying the pleasure of coffee as it tickles your tastebuds, we hurriedly rush out the door to start the day.
I wanted Morning Coffee to be mindful again.
The idea was inspired by Nick Lavecchia.
Some time ago, I saw the surfing photos that he shared with the hashtag, #MorningCoffee. And with it, I interpreted this to be the concept that “morning coffee” should be something that invigorates the start to your day – whether with literal coffee, or not. The idea embedded itself in my subconscious, and in the winter of 2017, I found myself desiring a more meaningful start to my day.
Fast forward to a full length mirror and my clothes piled around me on the floor. The snow is falling in Sweden, breaking dawn. The soft light filters through the window, landing tenderly on my skin. Like the delicate flutter of butterfly wings, sunlight kisses my naked body.
I was caught by surprise as a healing process began to unfold. By physically removing the layers of clothing from my body, I began to remove the layers of toxicity fro my mind, built up after five years of an emotional abusive relationship – and before that, a lifetime of never feeling like I was good enough.
Baring it all before the mirror, as dawn softly puckered my skin, I was able to see myself clearly for the first time.
And for the first time, I began to learn how to love myself.
An evolution…
It has been several chapters since the first unfoldings Morning Coffee began. I found that after years of thinking I was not a “morning person,” I actually loved mornings. But – my morning needed to be an intimate time spent with myself, rather than throwing myself into a commute or social setting. And what better way to be a morning person: to make it the time you spend nurturing the relationship with yourself.
Since 2017, time has passed and the art has evolved – but the mirror still remains as a vital part of my morning routine. The physical reflection that I see serves as an anchor that helps me say grounded and supports my ability to say present.
A mirror is a useful tool to see our body reflected back to us – especially for anyone who experiences challenges with mental health or body dysmorphia. But to see the body through the external and separate lens of a camera takes the observation of the body a step deeper.
The lens is both literal and metaphorical. Psychologically speaking, the lens through which we experience life is a collection of our beliefs. And those beliefs shape our reality.
Photographically, as seen by this portfolio sample, the artistic process has evolved to fine art nude landscapes. Although in a completely different environment, with fluctuating temperatures, changing light, and insects, the meditative process is similar. Instead of a more static meditation confined by walls, the process of self portraits within the landscape is an active meditation and a celebration of he hard work that I’ve put into my physical training.
Despite conducting this process for so long, I am still surprised when I go back to my camera to review what I’ve captured. I often forget what I look like, and the lens is a tool that helps me to see my body as it is, free from distortion. As I enter a playful and curious state of being, I awkwardly interact with objects in the frame – boulders, trees, mossy mounds, rotting trunks – and am usually pleasantly surprised at the result.
An expression of power dynamics within the heart of nature…
At the root of a self portrait session is the intention to enter an innocently playful state with the body. The mind can relax as the body contorts around trees and over roots.
When you remove the layers of clothing – and as a byproduct, the layers of societal conditioning around nudity – what dynamics does your body feel called to evoke?
Perhaps you’re inspired to take up space, and expand your body to fill the space around you, feeling powerful and unapologetically expressive.
Or maybe you feel inspired to become small and surrender to the elements that surround you, feeling safe and held.
The play between these expressions results in an interwoven balance between the masculine and feminine, spoken through movement and communicating whispers that may otherwise go unspoken.
A celebration of the human body…
As an artist, I see the body as the ultimate form of art. Our body is a sculpture, and the hard work of blood, sweat, and tears, chisels the layers away. While these photos are an intimate experience with myself, they are also a stubbornly insistent message to society that nudity exists beyond being a sexual experience, and is a natural part of the human experience. Especially as women, I believe it’s important to feel empowered, wild, strong, and free – with or without clothing covering our bodies – and in our own company.
Meet the Beast Goddess
As an artist of multiple mediums, The Beast Goddess strives to maximize her potential across the full spectrum of her life, in pursuit of the ultimate human experience. It is her hope that by living a life coloring outside of the lines, she inspires her clients to live life with an open heart and chase their wildest dreams.
When not frolicking naked in the woods, you can find her coaching high performing humans, supporting them in getting out of their own way to demolish limitations and burst through glass ceilings.
She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a specialization in commercial and advertising from Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California. In addition to photography, she is a writer, poet, recipe developer, CF coach, and food stylist.
She has spent over 3 years as an expat building an international business in Stockholm, Sweden. You can find her currently navigating between Breckenridge, Colorado, Toscana / Umbria, and Stockholm, Sweden. Specializing in high-end boudoir photography & tasteful kink erotic art – both as a photographer and model.
