I am interested in mental health and this is what helped drive my creative process in this work.
The burning rose is meant to draw the viewer in and represent something beautiful dying. The blurry, unfocused train tracks symbolize desolation. The placement of the girl on the train tracks is purposeful; I want the viewer to realize that the girl is lost and she does not know where she is going. I kept the anonymity of the girl by only showing half of her face, so that others would be able to identify themselves in the photo.
The main message I am trying to get through to the viewer is that sometimes on the outside someone can look gorgeous and fully together. But you never know, someone could be completely lost and wandering and not know where to go. On the inside they could be burning and crumbling.
As viewers walk away from this image, I hope that they get a deeper understanding of the pain that people with mental health disorders struggle with.