Family Portrait Session

Madison Stringfellow February 12, 2024

Having a family portrait session can be a wonderful way to capture and cherish precious moments with your loved ones. Here are several reasons why you might consider having a family portrait session:

Capture Milestones:

Family portrait sessions provide an opportunity to capture important milestones and moments in your family's life. Whether it's the addition of a new family member, birthdays, anniversaries, or other significant events, having professional photos can help document these special times.

Create Lasting Memories:

The photos from a family portrait session serve as lasting memories that you can look back on for years to come. They freeze moments in time, allowing you to reminisce about the experiences, growth, and joy shared as a family.

Celebrate Relationships:

Family portraits celebrate the relationships within your family. They showcase the love, connection, and bonds that tie family members together. These images become visual reminders of the strong connections that form the foundation of your family.

Display Family Dynamics:

A family portrait session allows the photographer to capture the unique dynamics and personalities of each family member. The photos can reflect the individuality of each family member while showcasing the collective spirit of the entire family.

Create Custom Artwork for Your Home:

Professionally taken family portraits can be transformed into custom artwork for your home. Whether displayed in a frame, canvas, or photo book, these images become personalized pieces of art that enhance the decor of your living space.

Gifts for Extended Family:

Family portraits make thoughtful gifts for grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other extended family members. Sharing these images allows extended family members to feel connected and involved in your family's milestones.

Document Growth and Changes:

A series of family portraits taken over the years can document the growth and changes within your family. From the early years with young children to later stages with teenagers and beyond, these photos create a visual timeline of your family's journey.

Build Family Tradition:

Making family portrait sessions a regular occurrence can become a cherished tradition. It provides an opportunity for the family to come together, have fun, and create a collection of images that tell the story of your family's history.

Boost Self-Esteem:

Family portraits can boost the self-esteem and confidence of family members. Seeing oneself in a beautifully captured and professionally presented photograph can contribute to a positive self-image.

Quality Time Together:

The process of planning and participating in a family portrait session can be a bonding experience. It encourages quality time together, fostering a sense of unity and cooperation among family members.

In summary, a family portrait session is a way to celebrate, document, and cherish the relationships and moments that make your family unique. The resulting images serve as tangible reminders of the love, joy, and growth that occur within your family over time.

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Social Media

Madison Stringfellow June 14, 2021

Crossfire of Social Revolution

It came around for my generation at a time when our brains were developing. We were vulnerable to manipulation of our neurochemistry. Dopamine hits from likes and comments are addictive. It’s easy to fall into the black hole of mindless scrolling, hopping from TikTok to Snapchat to Twitter to Facebook to Instagram.

It’s common to scroll as a method of escapism; to distract yourself. Whether you realize it or not, you’re filling your subconscious with junk, causing you to have low energy and anxiety.

The screen time feature on iPhones was a rude awakening for a lot of people. If we keep living the way we’re living with social media, we’re going to spend half of our lives in a virtual illusion. It’s not real. Most content on social media is manipulated and curated to portray asceticism.

Aesthetics can be fun, artistic, and forms of expression. But it’s wise to always keep in mind; you don’t see the rougher side of life behind the content. Models starving themselves, travelers detained in foreign airports, the baby screaming all night, the real toxicity of the happily ever after relationship, etc. Filters, perfect lighting, photoshop. Even landscapes don’t live up to reality. Tourists photoshopped out, garbage photoshopped out, colors and light enhanced.

We are constantly teetering the edge of creative content and distorting reality. The consequence? We’re all sitting on our asses, scrolling all day and the never-ending feedback is reminding you of what you’re not, what you don’t have, and how much better everyone else’s life is. It’s not real.

I personally have dealt with this for a decade. When I was 12, I made my Facebook account. Throughout middle school and high school, I dealt with cyberbullying. It was detrimental to the development of my self-worth and feelings of belonging.

Navigating the Benefits of Social Media

I hit a crossroads early this year. I am, without a doubt, addicted to social media. I’ve identified it as an entity that is affecting my quality of life and perception of self. My instinct was to delete all of it. Every account. Never log on again. But that’s not a viable option for me with my paritcular goals. I work for myself as a writer and photographer. My livelihood and dreams are built off of marketing via social media. I can’t get rid of it but it’s also taking a toll on my mental health.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re in a similar boat, my advice is to monitor yourself and develop a system or structure that works on building a healthy and productive relationship with social media. I’ve found that 90% of my interactions are mindless and operating out of habitual movements. When I deleted the Instagram app, I would still pick up my phone and my thumb would click on the empty space where Instagram was. It was alarming that I didn’t even realize what I was doing until I noticed the app was gone. I’m guilty of scrolling while watching a movie, working out, or eating dinner.

But permanently deleting is not an option. Lately, I’ve been practicing setting intentions for social media use. I don’t want to give it up because it’s a marketing tool and it’s full of useful content. Inspiration, adventure, creativity, and information. It’s a gift that’s created a collectiveness; an ability to stay in touch and share information.

Opal is the app I use to lock myself out of social media for most of the day. I set up time frames for social media to post and consciously interact. Then I’m done. Notifications are off. I made a pact to myself, that in my pockets of free time, I will do anything but scroll through social media. Even if it means staring at the wall.

Though limiting social media is not the only challenge. The business side of many platforms has become complex over the years. The algorithm is constantly upgrading to bump the posts it predicts consumers will purchase from. Those who have higher ad budgets get priority to an audience they haven’t gained yet. Meanwhile, small businesses, brands, and artists are being hidden from their own followers. It’s a curveball from the classic, chronological order feed.

Curating a strategy and structure is vital to maintaining a productive and healthy relationship with social media, especially if you’re marketing your work. Consistency is key in most marketing strategies. However, that directly counteracts the goal to limit social media. See the dilemma? The only solution seems to be maintaining the discipline of balance. Use social media to better your life, not escape into a hole of judgment and insecurity.

Alright, now I have to post this.

Clarity

Madison Stringfellow May 26, 2021

“It’s a lack of clarity that creates chaos and frustration. Those emotions are poison to any living goal.”

— Steve Maraboli

Obscurity

I often feel as if everyone is traveling in a pack, down a paved path with signage, while I venture into a jungle with a machete, unsure if I’m going to hack a trail off the side of a cliff. A hovering sense of insignificance and uncertainty led to halting anxiety and confusion.

Feelings of obscurity will severely discourage you from moving forward with your aspirations. Lack of clarity in yourself and your life can lead to a stagnant mindset of brain fog and overwhelm. It’s a frustrating tug of war with who you are and who you know you could be. The inner critic spins you in every which direction until you don’t know up from down.

Why Is Clarity Important?

Having clarity in your life and yourself relieves stress and induces peace. It’s developing trust in the path you’re taking. Nourishing this mindset lays the groundwork for sustained motivation and purpose. To have clarity is to strengthen your confidence and ability to make important decisions. It’s crucial to productivity and optimism.

Getting Clear

People often wait until a crisis to reflect. Regular reflection on your choices, desires, and experiences can aid in deciphering your values, goals, and direction in life. It’s a process of articulation rather than an epiphany. Waiting for the beautiful “Ah-ha!'“ moment may be unrealistic. It’s uncomfortable and sometimes painful to peel back the layers of your passions, hesitations, fears, and circumstances.

You must be honest with yourself and let go of the path everyone around you seems to be taking. Let your visions run wild and accept the obstacles that stand in the way. If you’re hacking away to create your own path, it may take years or even decades to get to your promised land. Clarity allows you to understand and be present in your journey. Patientce and self-compassion lessen the suffering of growth.

Inspiration

Madison Stringfellow May 10, 2021

Why We Need Inspiration

Inspiration harnesses intrinsic motivation which is vital to success. Inspiration keeps your work, relationships, passion projects, and energy thriving. It is needed for self-esteem, mastery of work, creativity, and optimism. It’s why we progress as a species and it influences the human experience.

Momentum and desire are key components for any goal and inspiration is the fuel. It drives the subconscious to persist. Inspiration impacts our perception of life, especially the ability to see possibilities and opportunities. When we are abundant in the phenomenon of inspiration we have more energy and awareness.

When Inspiration Dies

2019 punched my inspiration in the gut and 2020 was the knockout to the jaw. I spent 3 years writing/editing a book and then went through 1.5 years of the worst writer’s block and dwindling purpose.

I became paralyzed with the fear of taking more steps forward. It’s been several months since I’ve even published a blog post. Though I have written over 300,000 words since the start of this year, I’ve published 0.

I lost all inspiration for life over the last couple of years. I’ve tried everything to get it back. I drove from Raleigh to Seattle. From Los Angeles to Key West.

I hiked through different mountain ranges and dove into different oceans. I meditated. I discovered new music. I read books. I met many interesting people, having in-depth conversations. I listened to endless podcasts and TedTalks. I changed my routines. I invested in courses. Nothing. I came to the conclusion that it’s me. It has to be me. I am not trying hard enough.

~ Flying into Los Angeles at night used to be one of my favorite sights. I thought it was a twinkling galaxy of ambition and dreams, now it looks like a computer software gird of programing and illusion. The way I filter life has become tainted. I have attained the belief that optimism and ignorance are synonymous.
Both those perceptions could be proven correct. It’s the one you choose to focus on that becomes your reality. ~

Inspiration Killers

Need to Control:

The irony about trying so hard to be healthy is it can end up taking a toll on your health. Being stressed about achieving health, ultimately, kills health.

Is it the same for inspiration? Is it all in my head that I have had writer’s block for almost two years and I don’t feel anything anymore? That I don’t see the inspiration in the world? What changed? Is it in my control? What am I doing wrong?

Feeling that you have to control every element of your life, down to the state of your being is not giving yourself any room to breathe. In attempting to control everything you close yourself off to new ideas and expeirences.

Overwhelm:

We live in a time of information overload. We are constantly exposed to the news and social media where every person has a platform for their opinion. Losing your sense of being grounded is a recipe to get lost in the abyss of contradicting points of view. It’s easy to lose the ability to think for yourself, to perceive the world in your own way.

Fear:

Fear comes in all forms. I’ve realized 90% of fear is an illusion based on beliefs. Fear of being judged, rejected, misunderstood. I have struggled with worrying I am being ignorant and delusional for thinking there is anything positive worth seeking out in the current state of the world.

Perfectionism:

This one has been a huge issue for me. It’s not original enough. There are errors I missed. Is it concise? Is there a point? It’s dumb. It’s shallow. It makes no sense. Perfectionism is debilitating to career, academic, and personal output.

You can drag every project out. Anything creative will never be done. It will never be ready. Sharing your work is half the reason you create!

Revitalizing Inspiration

Vulnerability

Oh, hey! This is a fear I’ve noted to overcome. Writer’s Digest rated my book a 4/5 with the criticism that I should strive to be more vulnerable. They recommended more emotion, personal development, and openness. I’ll keep ya updated on how this one is going but for now, I just have my toes in the water.

Authenticity

Often, content is trimmed to show the most appealing aspects of a topic or lifestyle. Yes, it’s entertaining, skillful, and artistic to maintain aesthetics and appeal to an audience of a particular niche. Travel, beauty, fitness, finances, business, spirituality, etc. Writers, photographers, musicians, and lifestyle influencers can manipulate reality to dim the difficult, mundane, and uncomfortable aspects.

Being authentic is to let your guard down with the intent to connect to others and yourself. That connection brings clarity to values, intentions, and purpose thus aiding in confidence.

Feeling

To feel something, anything, even if it’s pain will remind you that you’re alive. So many of us cope by dissociating or repressing feelings. We numb what we don’t want to feel but unfortunately, I’ve learned the hard way you can’t selectively numb feelings. To block out the bad is to also block out the good.

Acceptance

Acceptance feels counterproductive at first. That you if surrender to the fact you’re stuck, you’re not feeling how you wanted to, you didn’t accomplish what you wanted to accomplish, you’re not the best version of yourself…you’re just stuck. But like a Chinese finger trap, the harder you fight to break free, the tighter the grip gets.

Accept you’re numb. You’re not aligned. Let go of the belief that you are supposed to be happy, creative, innovative, inspired, and energetic all of the time. What is this frustrating and stagnant time trying to teach you?
You might just find inspiration in having no inspiration at all.

Conclusion:

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for hanging in there with me on this one. I wrote this from the couch and told myself I am not getting up until I publish it. So here we are. A piece of writing that wasn’t quite articulated with structure, mind-blowing substance, or clear purpose. If only a few people read it, maybe it’ll be enough to start some momentum again. Thank you!

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My College Experience

Madison Stringfellow September 7, 2020

“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” – Aristotle

Fresh Out of Hell

I didn’t go away to college after high school. I applied to a couple of universities but was not amused when the acceptance letters arrived in the mail.

Those who know me, know that I wanted nothing more than to experience something new. The college affair seemed like high school on steroids and I was not a fan of high school.

I couldn’t wrap my brain around the concept of massive student loans when I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Concerned adults confused my hesitation with being against education. I have never been against education, just skeptical of the business ethics of the traditional system.

There were a lot of signs popping up in my life and none of them pointed in the direction of a sorority house. At 17 years old, I craved self/world exploration. I wasn’t comfortable investing money, time, effort, and freedom solely to keep up with the timeline of many of my peers.

Major Musical Chairs

I took a semester off to travel. In January of 2017, I enrolled in my first semester online with a community college. My compromise was to take classes remotely so I could continue to work and travel. I bought as much time as I could by taking general education courses.

I started with the major of business and marketing, thinking I could use the knowledge and skills to fuel the entrepreneur part of my soul. It was bland and tedious. Too diluted for my taste. Some corporate marketing techniques toyed with ethics.

Right before moving to Los Angeles (end of 2017), I had an epiphany that I wanted to be a pilot. I found an aviation program. For a semester I had my nose in a FAR textbook and my heart in the sky. I was completely fascinated with aviation and romanticized the idea of living in a cockpit. I connected with pilots and instructors, asking countless questions about the career path. After a few months, I had the shitty realization that the career didn’t offer me the freedom and adventure I was looking for. Especially not within the continental United States.

**I just let go of my aviation textbooks almost 3 years later. I still can’t let go of my polo shirt.

I spent another semester feeling like I was doomed to be a college dropout. I managed to scrape up a few more gen-eds/electives to buy me some time while convincing myself I was being productive.

In the summer of 2019, I transferred to a university and began a Bachelor’s in Psychology. My passion for brain health convinced me it was my calling to work in mental health research. I took multiple psychology courses in previous college semesters and was deeply intrigued. A semester from hell later, I was beside myself thinking about several more years of academic and clinical schooling. Everything kept coming back to impairing my number one value. Freedom.

After final exams, I went to Miami. I sat in the front seat of the car sobbing about my academic career. I was a flake. I envied people who knew exactly what they wanted out of high school and could follow a secure path already walked by many others. I began asking myself questions.

Cultivation

What do you want to do?

Travel and explore. Have freedom in my life. Write books and articles. Photojournalism. Document. Research. Travel.

Do you need a degree?

Technically, no. But it is a good idea to get one while I have the energy.

Why do you want the degree?

It opens doors to paths I may not know about yet. Networking. It gives credibility to bigger projects I may want to work on throughout my life. I may want to do something that requires greater education one day. A bachelor’s degree is the foundation. Also, to build stronger self efficacy.

Why did you pick business and marketing?

Enticed by learning skills to sell my work and manage myself. Run my own show.

Why did you want to be a pilot?

Love for aviation, travel, and adventure. I’m at home on an airplane.

Why did you feel pulled towards research in psychology?

Documenting progression that can help people. Discover new information. Help people. Help people.

What ties all of these things together?

Documenting and researching my way around the globe.

What degree makes the most sense for a foundation?

**Google search** - “Degree for travel writers” - “What should someone who wants to travel study?” - “Research degrees” - “International study programs”

And there it was International Studies - the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM.

Finding The One

I attained information about the program and was more than satisfied. With this degree, I can branch off into a variety of work. But the most intriguing aspects are the limitless graduate school options. It is a broad subject that can translate to a Master’s in Journalism, Law, Politics, Public Health, etc. Even if my freelance career works out just fine, this attracts me because it leaves so many doors open for growth and divergent paths. I thrive when I know I have options.

I applied in December of 2019. My mom Facetimed me while I was in LA to show me my acceptance letter. Everything was coming full circle and this time I was thrilled to see the word “Congratulations!”

I started class May of 2020 and I’m excited to say, after this fall semester I will be nearly 70% done with the degree. The courses are dense and I suspect there will be many more meltdowns of screaming “WHY AM I DOING THIS?!”

#Seahawks

I’ve kept my studies on the down low because I never felt like a real student. I have been and will continue to be 100% online (apart from the flight portion of my aviation semester and the international study required for this degree). I thought that online school wasn’t real school, but 2020 has proven otherwise for everyone Kindergarten - Graduate School. It is education and it can often be more frustrating/difficult than in the classroom.

I wasn’t willing to put my dreams on hold so I wove my education into the background of my life. I take 3-4 classes a semester depending on my travel schedule and I complete 2-4 classes in the summer to catch up. My goal is to graduate in 2022, but I am in no rush.

A couple of weeks ago I took a trip to Wilmington to explore the campus. It was the day before the start of classes. The place was scattered with clusters of students. I hopped off my bike and was hit on by an athlete walking to the dining hall. I snickered to myself. Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I went away to university. Who would I be friends with? Who would I be dating? Who would I be?

I’m taking pride in my unconventional, roller coaster of an academic path. I am a Junior, attending UNC Wilmington. I am a college student.

Why Write?

Madison Stringfellow August 26, 2020

Sometimes I ask myself…why do I write? Why does anyone write? Why do I feel compelled to share my writing?

Writing is a form of preserving life. Stories and philosophies live on long after the person that dealt them. It’s a way to transmit ideas and emotions. You write every day. You text. You e-mail. You have lengthy captions on your Instagram about the person you’ve been dating for 22 months. You tell Twitter and Facebook about your day and your feelings. Whether we realize it or not, humans are inclined to construct sentences and share them with others.

Several months ago I published my first book. (If you haven’t read it yet it’s called Compass Diaries! I know you’re quarantined with nothing to do. There’s a Kindle version that costs less than your Netflix subscription, you have no excuse). Anyway, I was thrilled and terrified to share personal excerpts from journals kept on my travels. I opened up about the conflicts I faced inside and out with the intention to produce a real-time memoir.

There’s still a part of me that wants to stay private. But I always think of myself at 13-14 years old. So lost, feeling rejected and misunderstood but then reading that someone I looked up to felt that way too.

I’ve read a lot of autobiographies and memoirs. I’m drawn to other people’s lives because 9/10 times I can find myself within them. When someone writes about something I thought I was alone in, it’s a weight lifted off my shoulders. In those moments, my experiences and emotions are validated. It’s a comfort that goes unmatched and I want to give that to other people.

Seeing their vulnerability, humanity and weaknesses. Reading about their obstacles and their rock bottoms. Understanding that it’s possible to still be great, to still bounce back, after tough times. To me, it was a solace to read something from someone who I thought had it all figured out. And to realize their life is just as much of a shitshow as mine!

I felt shame and nervousness about sharing. Similar to the shame you feel when someone sees you naked. We’re taught the shame of vulnerability inside and out. When in reality it’s just who you are underneath it all. Spoiler alert: we’re all naked under our clothes!

We all have our secrets we will take to the grave. We all have intimate details of moments that we keep to ourselves and the person we shared them with. But if you feel the courage required to offer personal thoughts and experiences, don’t be ashamed.

I’m going to bring whoever wants to tag along onto my journeys through life internally and externally. Making sense, healing, growth, and finding humor in the otherwise serious and darkness. I want to explore and experience everything I can while on this planet and I want to leave piles of chronicles behind.

Over a dozen people have come to me since the release of my book and thanked me. Some said they felt depressed and alone for many years too. Some went out and booked a plane ticket, leaving the country for the first time.

I’ve been going through a phase of doubt, feeling as if writing is not a sufficient career choice. My dream is to sit on Paris rooftops and word vomit my soul into a journal??? That’s not a real job.

But there are so many branches of writing I can experiment with. Writing for publications. Writing for businesses. Blogging. Publishing more books. Research. Journalism. The role is becoming vital in the age of information overload and the demand is not slowing down anytime soon.

Writing gives me the opportunity to build a career entirely from my computer, on my own terms. Do you know what that means? I can mold my life around the thing that I value most. Freedom.

I’m eager to rip the band-aid off and dive head first into the market!