"Imagine yourself moving through a crowded beach. With each step you take, you inch farther from the crowd. As you move, crowds disperse into groups, and groups disperse into individuals. Soon, it’s just you and the water. We imagine the same metaphor in this issue, Psyche—when you read, imagine yourself getting closer and closer to the self. For the first time ever, SHEI committed to a project in which our writing and our photoshoots explicitly informed each other. Each consecutive shoot and text is intentional in its pairing. In doing so, we indulge in a world where the mixing of media allows for the expansion of narrative."