REBECCA MILLEN

BY JACLYNTRUSS

Requiem of a Dream Dripping in gold, cast in silver, adorned with feathers, flowers and fearsomeness, Rebecca Millen unveils sheer masterpieces of photography, digital manipulation and transformational inspiration. Having always had a poetic mind, it was completely natural for Millen to inhabit all her ponderings within the realm of the fantastic. As a child, Rebecca Millen imagined that the human soul resembled a harp; now, she creates striking portraits that, metaphorically strung like a harp, play the melodic tale of humanity’s Achilles heel: the lack of acceptance of self and others.

Inspired by transformation and the ever-shifting consciousness of the planet, Millen is driven by how people react and develop in response to the circumstances that permeate their lives.

Using her exquisite art as a channel to express all her experiences and emotions, Millen hopes that her work gives people the chance to reflect on themselves, both on an individual and collective level.

Visibly touched by opulent auras, Millen’s portraits display moods that we are not generally allowed to express in everyday life. Believing that dark times gift us with the great chance to learn to love ourselves more authentically than we could without them, Millen sees potential in sombre experience, finding abundant opportunities for growth and learning empathy. Although it may seem unbelievable, Millen has been an autodidact in most of what she does. At 23, she is still searching for an apprenticeship, but with her incredible talent and already widespread recognition, it is a wonder that Millen has yet to be snapped up by a mentor eager to embrace her prodigious natural savvy. At the same time, Millen is always embracing more opportunities to learn and evolve her talents and is often approached by designers and models for collaborations.

Feeling as though she has finally found her place within a field of creatives that enables her to develop her own art and use it as a meaningful medium to inspire and uplift others, Millen shares her series Requiem and the emotional journey of humanity inside these masterful portraits in an exclusive with INSPADES.

“Creative work is what makes me feel whole and connected to everything. It’s the air my soul is breathing. A lot of creatives I know started out like me, doing self-portraits. In these self-portraits, I found a way to express many different aspects of myself and release my inner creativity into a tangible world. In the beginning of these projects, it just helped me to reconnect with my emotions and to realize my own strength.”

“In life, light and shadows get mixed. That’s our natural human experience. We are awash with feelings and thoughts. For me, the most important thing is to be conscious enough to decide which feelings and which thoughts I want to focus on—what is constructive, helpful, and what I want to give to humanity in relation to my talents.”

“I think that humanity is on a journey. Our collective has changed so much over thousands of years. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for worse. Either way, in the long term we evolve, change, experience new ways of living in relative harmony, and a lot of people go with this flow.”

“I have a deep longing to be an inspiration for people feeling connected to my work, to be a person that gives people the chance to see themselves through different eyes—to see their beauty within every aspect of themselves and to feel accepted, especially when they are going through hard times. Nature’s variety often leaves us in awe, so why not be in awe of these incredibly unique and fascinating people?”

“My works don’t always show characters or feelings that are appreciated by our society. I have a lot of dark moods within my work but it is not meant to be destructive. As an observer, you are free to let your feelings about these works guide you to your inner truth and, honestly, that’s what I wish for my audience. I personally appreciate my Requiem works very much on an emotional level because they give emotions space, and imply that it is okay to feel and express. To overcome those feelings, we have to accept and embrace our pain.”

“When I see a person glowing from the inside, I know they have discovered their true self beneath the negative feelings that may have veiled it. Every single person has this ability to shine. Often, it only needs the realization that we are all equal, no matter who we are. There is nothing in this world that could cause someone to have less worth than another. As children, we naturally feel okay with everything, until outer influences make us feel less good, less worthwhile or less acceptable. It is not the truth, it is a big illusion that humans are ‘rateable’.”

“When we create, we are free. We can express whatever we feel, whatever we think, whatever wants to be expressed through our talents. We can just enjoy this freedom or use our talents to serve humanity—to make people feel again and to make them see things from a different angle. Art is such a powerful way to reach out to people, which gives us the ability to connect and to feel connected because it makes us see that, although we are all very unique and individual, we have a common root and this can ignite empathy.”

“Empathy is one of the most important things in our world, especially in our time. It can help us overcome differences and see the commonality. Everyone who has ever felt the power of a group that acts as one on a base of empathy and humanity knows the magic of it, and that this power can be overwhelming and world-changing.”

“Art can be an important moral foundation for our society, where everyone—no matter what religion or belief they might be a part of—can connect with it. Art does not discriminate, it doesn’t care about the life you’ve lived or the success you’ve had; it removes every barrier that makes people feel isolated.”

“Imaginative art is a way to connect with our feelings, fantasies and deepest longings. Although I’m doing portraits touched mainly by fantasy, I see it as an incredibly authentic thing, visualizing things which are happening in another dimension and opening a window to our true majestic selfs. I hope my art can bring people to realize that they are majestic and perfect as they are and they just have to believe in their own power and beauty, a beauty far beyond physicality. By showing emotions like grief, sadness—and sometimes just a subtle dark mood—with a sense of dignity, I can change the interpretation and stigma around them, thereby removing self-judgment for the image’s subject and viewer.”

“Thinking about a future where we stand side by side, enhancing our talents and supporting each other worldwide, makes me feel very excited. I know that everyone who wants to can take part in the process of reaching this goal. It’s time for humanity to wake up—to see that we are one.”

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