THANK YOU! What we see behind the glass of our screens are stories and images fading away with every swipe. We scroll past mountains and oceans, we witness sadness and laughter, lions and polar bears, history, future, and still… we don’t truly see. I wanted to break out of that treadmill and create a platform for photographers where they can share stories and be whoever they want to be. A place where women who share a connection to nature can have their beautiful and unique voices heard through photography, poems, conversations, moments and science. This is about storytelling. Sometimes in images, sometimes in words. Sometimes in what you can find between, or even behind, the lines. We are “Mother”. I hope this is a magazine we can revisit, sometimes picking it up again to read a story or just stepping into a photograph to feel the arctic wind or hear the waves breaking on the shoreline. During the past couple of months, I have learned what it means to be responsible not only for myself, but also for others. I’ve learned a lot about communication, about how to share other’s passions, and I couldn’t be more proud and happy. I feel connected to each and everyone of them. I see my past — drowning in Lisalove’s creative portraits and words. I dream of running through the woods with Sonja and exploring the sea ice with Lianna. Every one of these women inspired me to go out of my comfort zone to create something special. I had moments when everything fell into place like pieces of a puzzle and moments when I thought it was all just falling apart. But then I looked at the 15 women signing up for this voyage of mutual discovery. And I found new energy to start again. And then to start again until it was done. This was never about me or these wonderful women — it was, and is, about us. It wasn’t just my first time designing a magazine, but also my first time working together with so many women as a team, and writing stories for others. Every time I showed a new layout to Fredrik and saw his approving proud smile, I could have screamed with happiness. Many times I did. Daring to share my ideas and thoughts with others during this process made me grow. By sharing stories and listening to others, we grow. Thank you Rita Kluge, Lisalove Bäckman, Merche Llobera, Magda Lindblom, Lianna Nixon, Natascha Klein, Sonja Sandström, Lisa Sihlberg, Anna-Clara Neuner, Molly Ferrill, Malin Hanning, Julia Astok, and Jenny Wong. Thank you for sharing your moments with me and keeping up with my emotional outbursts and chaotic emails. Thank you for inspiring me to inspire others with this project. Thank you to Peter Hudson, who went through every text with me and shared his knowledge and experience. Thank you, Cristina Mittermeier, my hero, for being a part of this. Thank you, SONY, for believing in “Mother” and thank you to the one person who always gives me strength and supports every crazy idea I have. Thank you Fred, my Hubba bear. Love, Melissa Schäfer
MOTHER MAGAZINE Editor in chief Melissa Schäfer • Published by The Motherbear Productions melissa@themotherbear.com • www.themotherbear.com © 2023 The Motherbear Productions. All photographs and text in this magazine are the property of the respective photographer and writer. The Motherbear Productions owns and retains the copyrights of the Mother Magazine, its layout and design. Unless otherwise specified, no one has permission to copy or republish, in any form, any information, including, but not limited to text, photographs, artwork and design, found in this magazine without a written permission from the respecive owner of the copyright.
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Cover photo by Rita Kluge Back page photo by Magda Lindblom PRINTED BY ELANDERS SWEDEN IN LATVIA
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