The myth of Pandora’s box - Iseult Gillespie

Somebody asked me how I define myself. And I didn't know what to say. Because how can someone be defined when we're always evolving? I've been so many things. I'll be so many others. Because identity is not a performance. It's an exploration. Never the same. But always myself. That's the paradox. Paradox Intense and the new Sweet Chemistry by Prada.

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Curiosity. A blessing or a curse? The paradoxical nature of this trait was personified for the ancient Greeks and the mythical figure of Pandora. According to legend, she was the first mortal woman whose blazing curiosity set a chain of earth-shattering events in motion. Pandora was breathed into being by Hephaestus, god of fire, who enlisted the help of his divine companions to make her extraordinary. From Aphrodite, she received the capacity for deep emotion. From Hermes, she gained mastery over language. Athena gave the gift of fine craftsmanship and attention to detail, and Hermes gave her her name. Finally, Zeus bestowed two gifts on Pandora. The first was the trait of curiosity, which settled in her spirit and sent her eagerly out into the world. The second was a heavy box, ornately curved, heavy to hold, and screwed tightly shut. But the contents, Zeus told her, were not for mortal eyes. She was not to open the box under any circumstance. On Earth, Pandora met and fell in love with Epimetheus, a talented titan who had been given the task of designing the natural world by Zeus. He had worked alongside his brother Prometheus, who created the first humans, but was eternally punished for giving them fire. Epimetheus missed his brother desperately, but in Pandora, he found another fiery-hearted soul for companionship. Pandora brimmed with excitement at life on Earth. She was also easily distracted and could be impatient, given her thirst for knowledge and desire to question her surroundings. Often her mind wandered to the contents of the sealed box. What treasure was so great it could never be seen by human eyes? And why was it in her care? Her fingers itched to pry it open. Sometimes she was convinced she heard voices whispering and the contents rattling around inside, as if straining to be free. Its enigma became maddening. Over time, Pandora became more and more obsessed with the box. It seemed there was a force beyond her control that drew her to the contents, which echoed her name louder and louder. One day she could bear it no longer. Stealing away from Epimetheus, she stared at the mystifying box. She'd take one glance inside, then be able to rid her mind of it forever. But at the first crack of the lid, the box burst open. Monstrous creatures and horrendous sounds rushed out in a cloud of smoke and swirled around her, screeching and cackling. Filled with terror, Pandora clawed desperately at the air to direct them back into their prison.