She/Her, 21 ,Corona,CA
MAYA
She/Her, 22 ,Corona,CA
Reem’s Reponses
Q. What do you think your room says about you?
-I think my room says that I like simplicity and I like beautiful things. Aesthetics are very important to me and to my ability to feel comfortable. I’ve never been one to really like little figurines or plush toys or anything like that, so my style is definitely less cluttered than, say, my sister’s style.
Q. Do you think your future room will have the same qualities as your room now?
-I think it will. I will always prioritize and treasure beautiful, vintage items. I’ve always struggled with my identity and my femininity but I do find comfort in more “feminine” and “pretty” decor.
Q. In some photographs, I may have asked you what items or pieces of your room meant the most to you, why did you choose those items? What connection do you have with these objects?
-I chose my gold jewelry from Syria. These necklaces were originally my mother’s. I haven’t been to Syria since 2010, and the necklaces remind me of my time there, and how bustling and prevalent the culture is there. They remind me of my grandmother’s house, of my grandfather’s work, of going to the corner shop with my cousins. Gold is an important part of my culture. We are adorned with it at birth and during marriage.
Q. Did you clean your room before it was photographed? I gave no instruction to clean or prepare your room in any way. If you did choose to clean it why? And if you didn't choose to clean it, how come?
-I cleaned it a tad bit. I tend to be messier than my sister whom I share a room with, so I wanted it to look somewhat presentable.
Q. Are you home often? (if so why?) Do you spend the most time in your room or elsewhere?(if so why?)
-I am not home often. I’m usually just home to sleep. I moved out for school, so I tend to come only on the weekends and when I commuted to school, I would only be at home at night. Otherwise, I reside in the living room or in the extra guest bedroom we have downstairs.
Q. Would you say you're proud of your room? Do you feel like it suits you well? (alternate question: Do you feel like it is a good representation of who you are/how you project yourself?)
-I am proud of my room. I don’t know if it is the perfect representation of who I am, but it is constantly changing, just like I am. I’m still trying to figure myself out so I don’t think it should be a concrete figure, more so a malleable entity.
Q. How do you feel about where you are in life right now? Are you content with how everything is going and how you are portrayed?
- I am not content with my life right now. I don’t really like how I am portrayed or who I’ve become. I think I have a lot of growing to do and a long journey ahead of me.
Q. What genre or groups do you think you belong to?
- I definitely partly fall into the “alternative” group, but I don’t really care about falling into any particular group. I just do whatever I want, and I like a broad spectrum of things.
Q. Do you consider yourself a social person, or do you fall somewhere in between social and antisocial? (explain)
- I think I am very social but I am also very shy and have a history of social anxiety. I definitely need to be social every day to feel happy and content, but I also like spending most of my time alone.
Q. Why did you want to be a part of this series?
-I think it’s a very creative way to catalog someone at a specific point in their life; our living spaces tend to reflect who we are, and in doing so, they are always subject to change.
Q. How do you think you'll react to these photos later on in life?
-I think I’ll be shocked to see how much I’ve changed and how different I was when these photos were taken.
Maya’s Reponses
Q. What do you think your room says about you?
-That I am neat, but cluttered, and interested in a lot of different things. Mostly my room shows my hobbies and things I like such as music, art, and fashion. It is a reflection of my personality.
Q. Do you think your future room will have the same qualities as your room now?
-Yes, the same qualities, but maybe more organized and with better things. I think once (or if) I can afford everything I want my space will be even better.
Q. In some photographs, I may have asked you what items or pieces of your room meant the most to you, why did you choose those items? What connection do you have with these objects?
-Two important objects I chose are a monchichi doll and my laptop. One of my close friends got me the doll for Christmas, and it means a lot to me because he moved to a different state. My laptop was a gift from my dad for my birthday, and I use it all the time for everything, so it is very important to me.
Q. Did you clean your room before it was photographed? I did not instruct you to clean or prepare your room in any way. If you did choose to clean it why? And if you didn't choose to clean it, how come?
-No, I didn’t. I wanted it to be as casual/candid as possible.
Q. Are you home often? (if so why?) Do you spend the most time in your room or elsewhere? (if so why?)
-I’m not really home often, mostly because I like going out, and being at home for too long doesn’t make me feel good. But when I’m home, I do spend most of my time in my room. It’s kind of a safe spot, I can be 100% myself and have all the things I like around me.
Q. Would you say you're proud of your room? Do you feel like it suits you well? (alternate question: Do you feel like it is a good representation of who you are/how you project yourself?)
-Yes!! I work really hard to make it perfect and cute. I’m always adding new things to it and rearranging it. It’s definitely and a good representation of my personality and all my hobbies.
Q. How do you feel about where you are in life right now? Are you content with how everything is going and how you are portrayed?
-I kind of feel stuck in life at the moment, don’t know what to do or where to go. I know I can change things for myself but it’s hard when you don’t have the right resources or enough income. Mental health is also something that I struggle with, and it prevents me from living my true life.
Q. What genre or groups do you think you belong to?
-I think alternative/indie/creative? I don’t really want to belong to a specific group but those are what most accurately describe me.
Q. Do you consider yourself a social person, or do you fall somewhere in between social and antisocial? (explain)
-Mostly social, I love going out and being with friends, but I do find it a lot harder to talk to new people or people I don’t know. It’s been something I’ve always struggled with.
Q. Why did you want to be a part of this series?
-I thought it was a really creative idea and I love being a part of any type of art.
Q. How do you think you'll react to these photos later on in life?
-I might make fun of myself in the future for the choices I made in the photos...
Q. Did you have any following statements about your room? Anything you want people to take away from these photos?
-I hope they inspire people to be more creative with their rooms & give them some ideas :)