I think it’s easy for many of us to feel more like animated objects than people. We are often looked at before we are listened to. I’ve been told throughout my life how beautiful I am, though it often feels more like a curse than a blessing. Maybe it is a blessing, disguised by the devil’s beautiful mask. I’ve also been told I’m just skin and bones, often framed with more statements about my beauty. We are lucky enough to live in a world full of beauty, though it’s easy not to look further than the masks we all adorn ourselves with. 
 

This loop of thoughts has resulted in my attempt to breathe life into my shadow self. I’ve spent the past year studying the human body and creating a mechanical self-portrait in search of the difference between an intricate object and a living thing. 
 

You are a real person.