What Makes One’s Experience a Fairytale? Do They Even Exist?
Generational Bonds Creating Family Traditions and Passing Down Heirlooms to Strengthen Bonds.
Solitude
The Thin Line Between Peaceful Seclusion and Loneliness.
Unexpected Connections What Makes One’s Experience a Fairytale? Do They Even Exist?
Hey loves! Thank you so much for tuning in to Modmuze’s newest issue: Human Connections. The staff and I wanted to honor Valentine’s Day by celebrating the love and connections to the people all around us. Whether it be our connection to the universe, friendship, or first loves, there are so many connections to be thankful for.
This issue is an ode to my love for love. I’ve been obsessed with the idea of love ever since I was a little girl- making my dolls kiss, watching rom-coms starting at age five and planning every aspect of my wedding before I even had my first crush. I’ve always found it fascinating and beautiful.
Love unfortunately looks a little different in my life this year. I’ve experienced a lot of different emotions that I have never felt before. So, what do I do? Well, naturally I write about love. Even if love puts you through the toughest of times, I think it says a lot about how powerful it is. No matter what, it can still be so beautiful to experience love, even if it eventually ends.
I just recently went through one of the hardest moments of my life, and I 100% don’t think I could’ve gotten through it without the human connections I have in my life. If I’ve learned one thing this past month, it’s that we’re not meant to do life alone. It’s the human connections we make along the way that makes life worth living. They give us great memories that we can look back on and smile. They give
us hope and something to look forward to. It’s these relationships that make me feel so happy, inspired and thankful for life every day, no matter how hard life sucks sometimes. It’s so worth it.
Modmuze has always been a safe space for me so I feel like I can be honest, this issue was a hard one to get through. The timing was off for me, and I had to nudge myself to get things done. I was going through a lot, but Modmuze pushed me to keep going and helped me with my mental health. It picked me up and gave me a reason to be thankful. So, thank you Modmuze. I love you always.
I hope you enjoy this issue and remember to hold the ones you love close and to soak in every moment. Spend time with the people who make life worth living.
With so much love,
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & President Emily McCaslin, MMJ
CREATIVE DIRECTOR & Vice President Ruby Van De Steeg, DM
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Madison McMaster, GD
MARKETING DIRECTOR Samantha Williams, DM
PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Loren Rogers, DM
STYLING & MODEL DIRECTOR Abigail Burnham, DM
TREASURER Patricia Dimick, DM
WRITERS
Karli Clemons
Emily McCaslin
Lillie Sherrill
Brooklyn Taylor-Talbert
Shealynn Hoffman
Ruby Van De Steeg
Jordan Reimer
Patricia Dimick
Addie Wagner
STYLISTS
Reese Ehrhart
Gretchen Teigen
Karli Clemons
Evan Mitchell
Catie Barrett
Lisabriela Calleros
Rodney Ashaba
Abby Burnham
Riley Kirkman
Ruby Van De Steeg Hailey Ford
Audrey Flood
Maggie Levy
Madelyn Campbell
Emily Bass
PHOTOGRAPHY
Hannah Cozens
Toni Purnell
Rodney Ashaba
Reagan Downs
Loren Rogers
modmuze is a fashion and lifestyle magazine produced by students, for students. Our magazine provides a unique platform for students to freely express themselves creatively in any and all ways imaginable.
Our Mantra Empowering self-expression
MARKETING
Cierra Carney Hollin Level
Rylee Day
Kamryn Major
Georgia Matthews
Erin Kistler
PRODUCTION
Madison McMaster
Hailey Ford
Brea Ellis
Ruby Van De Steeg
Triere Nikel
Emily McCaslin Editor in Chief &
As the President, Emily keeps the whole magazine running by making executive desisions and managing all the fine details while supporting her team and the writers.
In charge of Production, Madison oversees the team that makes the magazine come to life.
Ruby Van De Steeg Creative & Production
As the Vice President, Ruby ensures that the creative direction is cohesive across the magazine process while supporting the final production.
Samantha Williams
Marketing & Secretary
In charge of Marketing, Sammy creates inovative projects for her team and turns their content into postable content.
Patricia Dimick
Treasurer
As Treasurer, Patricia works hard to keep the finances organized and maximized for members to have more oportunities.
Photography
In charge of Photography, Loren directs and manages her team while contributing to the visual artform itself.
Styling
In charge of Styling, Abigail inspires her teams creativity with wordrobes and settings while managing their extensive process.
By: Ruby Van De Steeg
What makes one’s experience a fairytale? Do they even exist?
Through our lives, we are moved by storytelling and powerful emotions. Classics are not written about kindred souls who instantly connect through a simple act. True feelings become revealed onto a tapestry that is painstakingly stitched through dedicated time.
As a growing tree takes up space, it conforms to its environment by expanding around existing objects or heals its fallen branches after a storm. Growth requires us to see where we can fit but also knowing when we need to stretch our roots–even if that requires destroying something in the path.
ent, how do we decide what’s best for the beckoning pages that lay blank in our diaries?
Our imagination is the poet pleading us to seek a life of drama and adventure. While this is a necessary curiocity, we must remain grounded to the position we currently hold. Yes–having the “perfect” story to one’s relationship might add that bit of romantic lust to strengthen the connection, but that might not be enough to bond each other’s souls.
One of life’s biggest challenges can be the unknowing of the future. As we feel our emotions within the pres -
It’s difficult to not root for the couple who meets in a time of emotional distress–a rain storm, a flat tire, a stalled elevator. There is an element to the vulnerability that molds a story into a cinematic piece. Reaffirming their faith in fairytales, others rejoice in hearing the true stories their young minds dreamed of.
Both a blessing and a curse, technology has evolved into creating human connections. Practical and effi -
cient, the internet can find someone’s perfect match, but some believe that it is up to the universe to put us on the right path to our forever partner.
The best we can do for ourselves is to feel our emotions; let them flow through our brain and our hearts, our gut and our vision, then let them go. Don’t worry, for it did its job. Our heart knows what we feel, our mind knows what we need, our sight sees our path, and our intuition knows how to guide us.
Although what we think are
fairytales may not exist in the way we imagined, the essence of their magic lives within our experiences, choices, and personal growth. True connections are not about perfect timing or cinematic moments—they are about the willingness to evolve, to embrace uncertainty and to balance emotion with reason. Whether we are guided by fate, technology or our own intuition, the stories that follow are uniquely ours to shape. Perhaps the real fairytale is not about finding perfection but about creating something meaningful in the complicated and wonderful journey of life.
By: Brooklyn Taylor-Talbert
Creating Family Traditions and Passing Down Heirlooms to Strengthen Bonds.
Generational bonds are the bonds built with family as the years pass by. It’s the feeling of knowing that you have someone to fall back on if things go left. Or in different cases, being a safe space for a family member. These bonds are rooted in love and support, which is the best kind of foundation to have for a family. As time passes, these bonds deepen. The people who came before us teach us valuable lessons, while sharing experiences that help us navigate life.
One of the main things we learn from family is household traditions.
Creating family traditions is kind of like knitting with rainbow yarn- each time you start a new row, you get a different pattern. Each time the family gets together for traditions, you mix old memories with new ones. Family traditions don’t always have to be some intricate practice. They could be something simple like the one my family does when I’m home. This tradition is lounging around all weekend, watching movies. We do this on weekends because that’s the only time when we aren’t too tired to spend time together.
Traditions like that keep bonds strong because we have things to look forward to when we see each other. Even when
I’m on the phone with my mother, she always tells me how she has some new movies for us to watch. It’s a meaningful reminder that no matter how far apart we are, there are still things we can bond over.
Heirlooms are another meaningful way people build bonds with family. To me, they were always something interesting. The thought of passing down a sentimental item to your younger family members just always made the item extremely valuable no matter what it was. I’ve even heard some stories about people passing down animals for the younger family members to take care of. I got a Heirloom from my auntie when I turned 18. She gave me a ring that my grandmother gave her when she was young. When I first got it, my jaw dropped. To this day I keep it somewhere safe because of how much it means to me. And one day I hope
Photography by: Toni Purnell
Styling by: Catie Barrett and Lisabriela Calleros
Layout by: Triere Nikel
Modeling by: Landry Baker and Camile Baker
“Traditions like that keep bonds strong because we have things to look forward to when we see each other.”
to pass it down to someone else to cherish as well, like my aunt did for me.
Passing on heirlooms and the memories they hold is a beautiful reminder that age plays a part in these bonds because it allows you to form new bonds with new families. Like growing old enough to see your siblings raise kids or great grandparents still watching their family grow as they grow older As time goes on, this makes you gain a deeper appreciation for family because the people who once cared for us might need our help in return when the time calls for it. When they pass, you keep their memories close and share their stories so their legacy lives on, shaping future family members while also reminding us of the love and joy they brought when they were here.
How Postmodern Consumption of Media Has Barred Humans From True Connection.
By: Lillie Sherill
Visions of kisses on a ferris wheel, sharing a milkshake at the diner, holding hands in the park, a door being chivalrously opened and piles of love letters run through the mind of someone wishing for a lost love. A love that in the midst
been breached. We rely on modern standards or lack thereof, to write the narrative for how we should love and be loved. This only leads to false precepts of connection and fear to be truly intimate with one another.
In an age where modern media overconsumption runs rampant, it is
of snapchat streaks, DMs, dating apps and hookup culture seems unreachable, or extreme even. To dream of a love that seems only to have existed in the stories passed down from our grandparents is one that often floods through the minds of individuals wishing for more.
In an age where modern media overconsumption runs rampant, it is no surprise that the love portrayed in times past is hardly attainable. Media, in all of its forms, has become a cornerstone in our day-to-day lives in the modern age. As a result of its existence, even the bedrock of connection and relationships has
no surprise that the love portrayed in times past is hardly attainable. Media, in all of its forms, has become a cornerstone in our day-to-day lives in the modern age. As a result of its existence, even the bedrock of connection and relationships has been breached. We rely on modern standards or lack thereof, to write the narrative for how we should love and be loved. This only leads to false precepts of connection and fear to be truly intimate with one another.
Upon a dependence on social media comes the desensitization of the human connection, or human condition rather. Humans are
completely flawed and imperfect, yet beautiful and irreplaceable. As a result of this desensitization, the experiences with one another that only draw us closer are neglected. We are taught that no person can be flawed and beautiful, or both awkward and astonishing. When we expect others, and ourselves even, to fit the unrealistic mold put together by a society who has no interest in true connection, we lose any hope of it. To love is to accept and grow, to love is to see the flaws and beauty and adore
someone so much for it that your heart feels as if it weighs a hundred pounds.
Do not fear being human and do not fear letting others be human as well. Be afraid instead to deny yourself these experiences in an effort to never have to see them in someone else. Invite in strange experiences and hard conversations. Invite comfortable silences and simple connections. Fight for Love. True Love.
By: Karli Clemons
What do humans have to do with our universe? What connections are between us both? The connection between humans and astronomy is way more than what we see on the surface. Looking at how vast the universe is, humans seem like they have minimal purpose and connection, but research has shown that we are more connected
of ancient stars that are either still alive or exploded in supernovas billions of years ago. This links us to the cosmos as well.
There has also been research in recent years that the human brain is closely related to the cosmic web, and the distribution of matter in the universe, specifically with interconnectedness and scale. The striking similarities
to the universe than we realize. Humans are composed of atoms, carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. In astronomy, the stars are composed of the basic atoms that humans are made of. These atoms are also formed in nuclear fusions, which is a direct link of us to the universe. Humans are also chemically made from hydrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen, which in turn, are the cores
between humans and the universe is something that cannot be overlooked. There are more connections that philosophers wonder about why we are so similar as well. Philosophers wonder why we are alive, what our place is, and what our purpose is with the universe. We are such a small integral part of the vast cosmos that it has led us to wonder about the responsibility that we have to the universe. Our bodies are
also a big part of the wonder for philosophers because of the similarities of our makeup to the galaxies in the sky that everything we are, is part of a larger whole with the universe.
Spiritual Connection is also what draws us to the universe. Many spiritual traditions and practices such as meditation and connecting with nature help explore the idea of humans being connected to the greater universe. Also, indigenous and ancient cultures saw the universe as sacred, that humans are the caretakers and play parts in the cosmic order of the universe.
Finally, the emotional and psychological connection humans have to the universe is also something that intrigues us. A lot of humans are drawn to the universe because of the sense of wonder that it brings because we are part of more than just the earth, but a vast cosmic system, which proposes deep questions about our purpose, meaning and our role in the universe. Though we do not see our connection to the universe in a normal aspect, the connection humans have to the universe plays a big part in who we are as people and our purpose in the universe.
By: Emily McCaslin
First loves. Everyone has them. They’re an intricate part of the human experience. Everyone’s situation looks different, but we can revel in knowing that we’re not alone. This is such an important experience, one that stays with you forever. Take that how you will, but I think that’s extraordinary.
We’ve all been there before. From the first glance to the first touch. You’re probably in middle school or high school, and that one person who you’ve liked forever fi nally catches up to you. You hold hands, maybe share a kiss… and then the next day they leave you for another person. You think your life is over
Wow that was quick. You real ize how much you didn’t actually truly love that person. But this new person is everything. You re alize that you never really felt true love until you lock eyes with them, and it’s like you are the only two peo ple in the room. You go on a few first dates, meet the parents, and it’s settledyou’re getting married. You can practically hear the wedding bells chime just about ev erywhere you go. You are so in love with them it’s like nothing can bring you down, and then suddenly, you feel a tight pain in your chest. A pain like no other. You find out they cheat ed on you, or just simply left. The person who you thought was your entire world, is not even in the same headspace as you.
You haven’t eaten in five days. You’re having a constant panic attack that can’t seem to go away, and you’ve lost 8 pounds. You feel like you’re going to throw up if you see them with someone else. And then of course- they are off flirting with other people, like you never even existed-like they don’t even care. Like your
souls weren’t once intertwined in the most perfect way possible. You distance yourself; you try not to cry on your way to class. You listen to sad music just to know you’re not
Chapter 4: First Reminders. Why does every freaking thing remind you of them? It’s like every song that comes on the radio is about them, every time you go to a restaurant you think of what they would get, you’re using a cup that they once used. Great, now you’re spiraling. It’s like they’re everywhere but right where you want them to be. Right in front of you.
You spent every waking moment with them and now you’re alone. No one talks about how drastic of a change that is. You have to shift your whole schedule to revolve back around you. By yourself. Alone. You drive alone now, you go to the store alone now, the only other soul is the ghost of them that lingers in your head. And the nightsthose are the hardest. The urge to pick up the phone and call them, just so you can hear their voice again, is so strong.
It’s been a few weeks or
best friends by your side. You eat three meals, you go to all of your classes. You’re finally doing it. You’re taking your power back.
“If two souls are meant to be together, they will find each other again,” you keep telling yourself. If it was meant to be then it’s meant to be. Except you learn you can’t hold onto that forever. You’re not powerful enough to alter the plan of your life. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I think it adds a little comfort to the pain.
Now this chapter is bittersweet. I haven’t gotten there yet, so I’ll let you know how it goes later. I assume it looks something like wanting the best for them. Wanting them to be so happy because you once loved them so much, and you do still care for them. You shared something so special, and that still means something, even if they’re not in your life anymore. They once made you so incredibly happy and you made such great memories that you will always cherish. Whether it ended good or bad, a little piece of them will always be with you. And I think that is so beautiful.
The end.
You got this love. I’m rooting for you.
By: Jordan Reimer
When I was in the 6th grade my friends and I gave up gossiping for Lent. I am not sure what we were gossiping about at the age of 12, Instagram was gaining popularity at the time so I can only imagine how much tea we got from “like for a tbh” post. One night my 2 friends and I had a sleepover where we queened out at our mutual friends house. Our friend said she had tea, and one friend left to keep her non-gossiping streak while the
other friend and I stayed to listen because we were bad Catholics. Did I feel a little shame after that experience? Not really, honestly.
Queening out is hanging out but with your girls and gays, activities can range from a brunch or going to a yoga class. There doesn’t have to be gossip but, there can be some, about pop culture, politics, or that one annoying coworker. Queening out with the right group is a safe place to vent about a
situation or a person. No person can keep everything inside, and not every single issue you have with someone needs to be addressed. There is a time and place for confrontation. There is also a time and place to express your feelings in a safe place, with a group of friends that can be trusted. Closer friendships, an understanding of people and social interactions can all come from a tea sesh.
This is not a defense of spreading lies and judging people but the stigmatization around female friendships and “woman talk.” In the Middle Ages, gossip was a way of showing solidarity amongst a group of women and protecting each other. Women had power in numbers and knowing who could be trusted, women gained social hierarchy by confiding in one another. It wasn’t until the 1600s when the word “gossip” began to
have a negative connotation. Women with close female friendships were accused of witchcraft and were even punished with muzzles for their “idle talk”. Gossip goes so far back it has shaped people and culture, stories and myths have been told for centuries, it’s how we spread information, determine right from wrong. It is more than just trashtalk or an idle woman’s activity. Gossip has shaped our evolution, it provides therapy, confronting feelings, and an
Most nights spent with my friends are not filled with gossip but our trauma, dreams, and the media we consume. I love staying at someone’s house till 4am drinking beer and reading tarot cards, I love sitting in my best friend’s car talking about philosophy, I love going to TJ Maxx and Ulta. Queening out is spiritual, queening out is ritualistic and it should be a part of everyone’s routine. There is comfort in knowing others and to know you are not alone.
understanding of social norms. Some feelings are just meant to be heard in a group of supportive friends. Obviously, there is a fine line, but genuinely it is not hurting anybody. I assume people are talking about me behind my back and I would like to keep it that way. I don’t want to know every negative thing ever said about me as it doesn’t serve me.
My time in college has taught me that we are all the same, we all have dreams, and we are all lost. There is so much beauty in that, to learn, to observe, to encompass and embody someone else. I am a creation of everyone that I have touched souls with, and I carry everyone with me everywhere I go. Queening out has taught me a lot about myself and the world around me.
By:Shealynn Hoffman
Does being alone make you happy? Any wandering observer that passes you on the sidewalk with a neutral gaze feel like they’re burning their eyes into your soul, the ever presence of security cameras in every building that scream “big brother is watching!” or the constant stream of emails, videos, texts and other notifications screaming from the bright screen in your hand feel just a bit too overwhelming sometimes?
Perhaps self-care can be in the form of a night alone, or an hour of time tucked away in the corner while the crowd mingles, friendly from a distance. Sure maybe it’s lonely, but only when your scroll through your feed and divulge into jealousy as you watch a gaggle of friends hit the town, wondering why there is a difference between how you view the comfort of friendship and how some others quickly work their way into each other’s lives, knitting together like a warm woven blanket.
Is it bad to find peace in the quiet air of one’s own sacred space? The familiar sounds of home tickling the nucleus acumens in your brain with giddy. Maybe that’s why your earbuds
live in your ears when you’re not home, finding salvation in the noise you can control.
Solitude has its own personal definition to an individual, some find it as comforting at the cold winter wind that whips one’s skin, but I find my personal time to be like the summer sun, warm and gentle but dangerous when sat in too long, your own mind akin to peeling and itching like a deep sunburn.
Worrisome thoughts dig their fingers into your amygdala as you picture your own funeral, wondering how vacant the venue would be, barely filled with distant relatives and the few you hold close to your heart. Would the staff shake their heads and whisper sorrowfully for the loss of a lonely soul, clasping their hands to say a quick prayer for the fallen recluse.
It’s okay to crave the quiet. Sometimes the world is too much, sometimes the imaginary audience in your head is all you need. It’s the most critical person you know but the honesty is comforting in a sick way, it never leaves your side, clinging to your skin with thin sharp nails. Whispering harsh words into your ears as you drift to sleep, demanding things that you cannot promise, things that would make you grand, but are unachievable. Maybe that’s what makes it easier to stay clear of deeper relationships… the only person you need so deeply intertwined into your own routine.
That is until 2am, and you can’t
breathe. Perhaps an earlier time for a panic attack would have been better, the anxiety helplines hours ring out on the other end of the line while you struggle to stand. Beating on the door of your roommates room while you sob because you can’t form a word, the thoughts swirling around the vast pool of your skull, or maybe it’s because your throat is dry, when was the last time you took a sip of water?
It’s humiliating to be seen in your worst moment, especially when you don’t remember the time you gave yourself the time of day to be your best. Maybe it’s a fever that keeps your mind on an endless loop, or perhaps it’s the OCD. It’s easier to be normal in a room with people who are calm, those you cling to like your own internal voice, maybe it’s too much to be glued to another.
parents warning their little children of the lifestyle of hermit, who only comes out when everyone sleeps, wrapped in the finest moonlight and fog as you terrorize the minds of the peaceful.
“Sometimes the world is too much, sometimes the imaginary audience in your head is all you need.”
Maybe it’s not solitude that is the curse, but the agreement one makes with their own loneliness, the ability to find joy in being tucked away. Solitude, an addiction like nicotine, it’s a temporary high, but it destroys you from the inside, making you crave more.
Solitude, the loneliness that changes you for the worst, that is the sin. Alone time, relaxation of one’s own mind, is salvation. A thin purgatory line separates them, one that you know too well and is stained with your footprints.
Maybe solitude is a void, a deep pit one sinks itself into to stop existing, a dark pit that has no exit in sight. It makes you invincible, invisible to the average observer, lurking in the foggy night like a curse. You could possibly be a cautionary tale,
By: Patricia Dimick
I stand where the conifers bend like broken backbones, and the gourd vines writhe in the chain link, where silence lingers heavy in the air, a shiver that scratches the skin beneath the weight of what we never spoke of.
The windows still let in the cold— a bitter touch that curls like forgotten dreams underneath the floorboards. Each step is slow, as though the house remembers the burden of every footstep it ever felt— the heaviness of our paces.
We ran through these rooms once, laughing, or perhaps it was crying, the sound is strange, swallowed by the walls that have begun to deteriorate. Yet, the echoes remain.
I don’t remember when we stopped running. I hear murmurs of secrets and ordeals, how I left, and you probably waited. The guilt twists at my throat, I should have been there for you.
It was only a moment ago, or maybe it was years, but the memories haunt, hollowing out the place where my pulse emanates.
I turn to the crescent shaped windows, dull, gray light spilling in.
I do not know why I came here, except that something inside of me wants to believe I could return, and you would still be down the hall, where you always were.
By: Addie Wagner
“There’s someone here for you Addie,” my boss peeps into my cubicle and smirks. I look up to find my best friend holding a huge bouquet of flow ers just for me. She rushes to hug me and says, “These are for your internship! I am so proud of you.”
From that moment on, everyone at work that day asked me, “Who are those flowers from? A boyfriend?”
“No,” I said. “They’re from my best friend.”
“You must have good friends,” cowork ers said.
“I do,” I smile.
Moments like this remind me of just how thankful I am to have formed such meaningful re lationships with girls that I never would have met if it were not for Oklahoma State University. Being lucky enough to have one close friend, who knows you to your core and will support you through anything is so special. Having multiple loyal friends you can rely on is even luckier. What keeps the best friendships together is sim ple: effort .
No matter the distance or circumstance, friendships take work from both sides. This means keeping consistent communication, spending quality time together and occasional acts of love. If solid effort is lost on even one side, the friendship will suffer. To have a friend, you have to be a friend in return.
True friendship also means having respect and maturity. Even the best of friends disagree sometimes, but what matters is how the pair recovers. It is important, even in the midst of anger, to take a step back and remember the value this person has in your life. In the big picture, an argument you will not be able to recall years from now is not worth putting a lifelong friendship in jeopardy. Although your friend may have a different opinion than you, that does not mean their feelings are wrong, it just means they are not the same as yours. The reason best friends are so close is not because they never fight, it is because they resolve issues and come to an understanding that their friendship means more than a silly quarrel.
Friendships may also face many trials and challenges. Disagreements, big or small, not only ensue eventually, but other things like growing apart or not living in the same place anymore may happen. If your friendship is strong enough, it will survive anything. But, as I mentioned before, effort must be put in, perhaps even more so in these circumstances. If long distance separates you and your close friend at some point, it is crucial to take extra steps to make sure commu -
nication does not fizzle out over time. The same goes for growing apart. You and your childhood best friend may not be the same people you were in second grade, but that does not mean you can’t still laugh about the good times and have a good time now, if they are still someone you can have fun with.
So, when your friend is struggling, do something nice for them. Surprise them with flowers at work. Ask them if they are okay if they seem off one day. Be there for them, as you would want them to be there for you in tough times. Not only will this keep your friendship alive, but it will make you feel fulfilled, by truly caring for someone other than yourself.
“Not only will this keep your friendship alive, but it will make you feel fulfilled, by truly caring for someone other than yourself.”
