Rina Bambina's Vintage Mind Body and Soul Tour

A Pinup-Psychologist seeks her scene to connect, reflect and give back.

“She was strong. Not because she wasn’t scared, but because she went on so strongly, despite the fear.”- Atticus

This blog post is very important to me. It took me a long time to launch an idea that was buzzing around in my head about a year now.

Finally, I decided to start my own GoFundMe campaign.
The cause of my campaign is doing my work around the globe.

As some of you know, I’m a psychologist and a scientist.
I created the „Vintage Mind, Body & Soul“ tour to raise awareness for self-love and mental health around the world, especially in women. This project combines two of my biggest passions: psychology and photography.

Psychology and Photography – How does that work?

I want to tell you a bit more about myself and my „double life“.

I was introduced to acting when I was six years old. Eight years ago, I started doing photo shoots, and I focused more and more on the retro scene. I immediately felt connected to the retro scene, where like-minded people practice nostalgia for classic cars, fashion and Rock’n’Roll music.

For me, the late 1950s and 1960s the symbolize a time of (self-)confident femininity. Role models like Brigitte Bardot and Audrey Hepburn embody the „authentic charm with a touch of sex appeal“ which inspires me for my model work.

Besides working as a photo model, I am a psychologist. Others advised me to separate the scientific career from the nostalgic hobby in order to not jeopardize my recognition as a young researcher.

But at some point, I didn’t want to hide myself anymore. Dressed in my vintage-inspired wardrobe, I was ready to face weird looks in a the lab and at conferences. As the only women in the room that was wearing dress, I often heard comments like „You’re very brave wearing an outfit like that“.

After the graduation, I wanted to withdraw from the conservative world of science to open my own practice. My idea was appreciated, but during the start-up, I found myself in many situations where I was underestimated as a business women due to my „feminine clothing style“. The lack of respect and seriousness frustrated me a lot, still, I managed to make the big step towards the psychology career I always wanted.

To sum up: A lot happened within the last year. I graduated from university and opened an online practice where I offer psychological counseling via internet. Still, I’m a scientist at the heart and that’s why I decided to do research in a field that is quite new: „therapeutic photography“.

Based on all my experiences, I created the „Vintage Mind, Body and Soul“ project to boost self-love and confidence, especially in women. The project combines elements of photography, psychology and empirical science. How this works in practice is explained in more detail below.

Why is this tour so important to me?

I want to talk about how I managed to overcome personal and social insecurities in the last years and how I transformed from being mousy to being confident and vibrant.

I was very shy as a child and young adult. I had a hard time approaching and opening up to others. In school, I preferred to be a lone wolf instead of being a member of the pack.

Nevertheless, I always enjoyed being in the spotlight, especially in front of the camera. It was because I could slip into different roles that were as bold and confident as I wanted to be. I began to implement some of the characteristics I presented as an actress and as a photo model into my everyday life – dressing up, being feminine and eventually, standing up for myself and for my lifestyle. This is how photography helped me, not only to become an international vintage model, but to become the confident introvert that I am today.

Traveling (on a student budget) also plays an important role in this transformation. I visited more than 20 countries for my model work, I met a lot of inspiring people and I kept learning about mindfulness, values and life from other cultures. I want to use my passion for traveling to make my project public and to aspire as much women as possible around the world.

The „Vintage Mind, Body & Soul“ seminars and coachings

The goal of my tour is to connect like-minded women and to motivate them to show their true selves – in the spotlight as well as in everyday life. I offer my help online (via video/phone/text) or offline (at events, photo shoots or seminars). I use psychological and body-related exercises and I invite my clients to discover new perspectives, to value their bodies and to represent themselves with confidence.

Where does the GoFundMe money go?

I invest every cent in:

Travel expenses
Residence and Work Visa
Space rent and material for the seminars
Merchandise for the GoFundMe community

What’s in it for you?

I want to share my adventure with you.

This call is addressed to everyone who wants to join a „pinup psychologist“ on her travels, but doesn’t want to step on a plane/ship/train.…

As a contributor, you will get an exclusive look behind the scenes of my work. I will show you my retro world – with pictures, videos and reports for my travel journal. I will also share my favorite psychological exercises for you to try out at home.

Moreover, you will receive little goodies, such as postcards from my travel destinations, signed autograph cards, stickers, souvenirs and other merchandise.

Please help me to spread more love and confidence in the world.