MIKA MARTINEZ (she/her/they/them)
intentionality
authenticity
collaboration
My mission is to remind people that there is no one way in life, that the possibilities of who we can be are determined by us, and us alone.
My dream is to share expressions of self that are less seen and accepted in American society. Empowering people to live boldly and authentically, to love themselves fully and without judgment.
I’m a visual storyteller, educator, and recorder of history. I use photography as a way to heal and empower people with visual representation; and to transform ideas of possibility with unique perspectives. I was born to two teenagers, one trying to escape her life and the other bound by duty, both stuck in ideas of who they thought they should be. Ideas that came from family, society, and our culture. These ideas formed expectations, and as I got older they became more and more apparent to me. I was made keenly aware that my looks, my background, and my gender impacted the life that I was expected to lead. The more I tried to conform, the worse I would feel. I believe that visual media plays a big part in shaping who people think they should be, how they should look, and what they should be striving for in life. Over the past century media has rapidly evolved into a widespread medium for storytelling, art, knowledge, and enjoyment. It provides something special—whether opening our eyes to a life vastly different from ours, enforcing a lesson previously beyond our perception, or unearthing our roots as individuals, society, and humanity as a whole. I think when people don't see themselves authentically reflected in mainstream media they can begin to feel as if the world doesn't see or value them as normal people, and they get stuck trying to live a life that doesn’t really make them happy.
When I embraced my authentic self and stopped trying to fit into mainstream ideas of beauty and success, I could love myself and start to believe that I was worthy. Worthy of love and of happiness. That my experience mattered and that I didn’t have to be the way that others expected me to be. According to YouGov's body image statistics, more than half of Americans feel pressured to look a certain way. Media often glorifies bodies that are skinny and muscular, leading people to connect beauty and success with such attributes. As a society we normalize an obsession over body shape and size. Creating cultural beauty standards through mainstream media that drastically impact how young women see themselves. I believe that by sharing bold stories and authentic expressions that reflect a more inclusive world, my work will empower people to embrace the fact that they are perfect, just as they are. Regardless of size, background, or experience. That they are seen, worthy, and accepted in society because they can see themselves reflected in it and valued. I believe that it’s vital to share diverse stories and variations of beauty. Because the misrepresentation and a lack of diversity in media influence's public opinion and society. It impacts the way we view ourselves, others, and the world around us.
Myths of the Desert Royals
Have you ever imagined this world but different? Media from Earth 2.7 explores just that. It imagines what media would be like on an earth just like this one, only 2 dimensions over and 7 light years away. This collaborative project reimagines what science fiction and fantasy could be when the dominant narrative shared comes from the perspective of brown women, instead of white men .
Myths of the Desert Royals is one of these tales. In our world, Greek, Roman, and European stories often influence characters and narratives throughout the genre of fantasy. On Earth 2.7 the stories most known come from Indigenous cultures and instead of valuing power, they’re focused on cooperation. Taking place in the most complex desert in North America, this myth explores connections between the land and environment of the Sonoran Desert and the way everything that lives there is connected to each other.
