About Persestia

How Persestia Came to Life

Persestia did not come to life in a single day. I already had a website for my photography, but after a while I started to find it a little boring. I was also taking fewer photos, which meant there was not enough new material to keep updating the website regularly. At the same time, a lot was happening in my life and for a while my priorities were somewhere else. Still, I missed being creative. Lately, I found myself thinking more and more about years ago, when MySpace still existed — even before Facebook. Back then, I had a blog and regularly wrote about the things that were on my mind.

From that memory, a new idea slowly started to grow: What if I combined photography with stories? There was only one question left: what did I want to write about? I noticed that I kept coming back to my own memories, experiences and feelings. Things I could not always easily put into words, but could feel very clearly and picture in my mind. Writing helped me bring more structure to those thoughts. Sometimes I would simply start with one feeling, memory or situation, and a story would slowly appear on its own. From there, Persestia gradually started to take shape.

At first, I mainly thought about photography and stories, but soon other forms were added. Music, images and later video as well. For me, these help make a story or emotion stronger. Sometimes an image says more than words. Sometimes music does. And sometimes it is the combination that works best.

From a Name to a World of Its Own

The name Persestia did not appear by accident either. I was inspired by Persephone and Hestia. Two goddesses who, for me, each represent something different. I have felt connected to Hestia since I was in my twenties. Her meaning of warmth, calm, home and a safe place already spoke to me back then, and it has always stayed with me in some way. Persephone became more important to me later. For me, she represents change, growth, shadow and beginning again.

From those two names, Persestia was eventually created. At first, it was mainly a name. By now, Persestia has become much more than that. Characters were added, and each character slowly developed their own appearance and meaning. Their looks, clothing and colours were chosen deliberately and often have a symbolic meaning. The animals that appear in Persestia usually have a reason and meaning too. Unless AI suddenly decides to add a few random animals or completely different characters of its own. By now, that has become part of the process as well.

Nyhemae

As Persestia continued to grow, Nyhemae was created too. Nyhemae is the world in which Persestia takes place. Every area in Nyhemae has its own meaning. The places represent different moments in life and what you may feel, learn, let go of or rediscover along the way. The places in this world are therefore more than just beautiful landscapes. They represent different emotions and processes someone may experience in life. Sometimes you withdraw. Sometimes you look back. Sometimes you need to let something go. Sometimes you need courage to keep moving forward. And sometimes you suddenly discover new possibilities again.

That is why every place in Nyhemae has its own meaning. The Cave of Beginnings, the Forest of Silence, the Lake of Reflection, the Waterfall of Surrender, the Mountains of Courage and the Sea of Possibilities each tell a different part of that journey. It is not a fixed route that everyone has to follow. Everyone has their own story and their own pace. 

Nyhemae is still developing. It will probably continue to do so, because Persestia itself is still growing too. But the foundation is there. A world where stories, music, images and emotions come together. A place between shadow and light.