A self-described "nature-loving artist who has been living in North Carolina for 22 years" (that's nearly as long as she's been alive), Elena Generi loves modeling because it enables her to meet fellow artists and collaborate on projects with likeminded people. "I love coming up with fresh new ideas and putting them into place. I also enjoy empowering others by leading them by my example," she says. "I would describe myself as playful, sensitive, spiritual, and intuitive." As for her first memory of Playboy, she picked up a copy at her friend's house in college and realized it gave her a sense of joy and feeling of empowerment. " I'd thumb through the pages occasionally, but then my other friends enjoyed it so much, I passed it on to them. I had received the message I needed from it and was ready to go forth on my own modeling journey."