Photo illustration by @escapingyouth At 18, Natalia Seth (@escapingyouth) has embraced a lesson that many artists take a lifetime to learn. ?I try to give my imagination free rein, and not filter myself,? she says. ?I think that?s the only way to create.? Inspired in part by her mother, a painter with a surrealist sensibility, Natalia uses photo-editing software to craft whimsical scenarios that feel like they?ve been lifted straight from her subconscious. And, in a way, they have: ?When I?m falling asleep,? she says, ?I force myself to think of ideas. A lot of my creativity comes from that moment between waking and dreaming.? She hopes to inspire others to dive fearlessly into their own imaginations. ?Early on, because I wasn?t posting typical selfies, I was self-conscious about what my peers might think of my pictures. But once I let myself create without restraints, my work improved so much ? because it was a true reflection of who I am.? See more of Natalia?s dreamy portraits today on our story.