For Wayward Victorian Girls

Emilie Autumn has been one of my favorite musicians and one of my biggest role models of sorts for a few years now. I discovered her as an insecure teenager, and I listened to her music and watched videos of her performances all through high school. Her music was (and still is) my go-to when my self-esteem was at its lowest, or when I considered self-harm. She coined the term “victoriandustrial,” to describe her musical style, which attracts fans of the industrial, goth, metal, classical, pop, and rock genres.
Next to her photograph, I placed a plate with tea packets and bread. This is simply because Emilie and I both love tea, and sometimes tea is good with a snack.I placed my ipod and a stack of CD cases on the altar because she is my favorite artist, and between hard copy CDs and itunes I own every track that she has available for purchase, and maybe one or two that she doesn’t. She is bi-polar, and her music reflects her emotions and the struggles she has been through, and aside from her own personal reasons for making her music, she wants to let others know that its ok to be “messed up,” and that they aren’t the only ones. They are not alone. I also own her autobiographical novel “The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls,” which was signed by her, and placed on the altar. To the left and right of said novel, are two other books. Before finding EA’s music, I had harbored a borderline obsession with alternative subcultures, and a semi-secret, deep interest in mental disorders, which only grew once I discovered her. These interests are reflected in the two books, one a study of madness, the other, a compilation of Japanese street fashion. (Goth and Lolita, to be specific) I also placed my corset, lacy gloves, striped tights and socks, fishnets, and makeup on the altar. Again, Emilie Autumn encouraged my love of alternative fashion, enough to the point where I slowly started to gain the confidence to wear some of it in public. I’ve been wearing eyeliner for at least 6 years now, but until the past couple years, I had never been secure enough to wear the more dramatic gothic looks that I favor in public, or even document them on camera.

She continues to be an inspiration to me no matter what mood I am in.