I love THE Story of it all... I grew up with my nose stuck in a book, or in front of a silver screen, and my head in the clouds. As soon as I was able to speak and walk, I was busy being obnoxiously creative!I can remember my very first camera –the Le Clic. It was flat and plastic and hot pink, but most importantly it was my very own. Until then, I had only gotten to take pictures whenever I convinced my parents to let me borrow their Polaroid... lame. So now, not only did I have my very own camera, but it had real film that had to be developed—albeit on some weird round disc thing. Remember those!? I was legit… yes, too legit to quit.
And I didn’t quit. I can remember my first photo shoots – they involved bed sheets as backdrops, stuffed panda bears as props and blackmailing my kid sister to model for me. I fell in love with the idea of taking the most beautiful slices of someone’s story and capturing it for them. And somewhere along the way, art became an essential piece of my own story.
I went on to study Art and photography at Carson Newman College tucked away near the mountains of Tennessee. In 2003 I stumbled upon my first paying photography job—a wedding. I went on to get my Masters degree in film and communications. But by trade, I continued working a 9 to 5 in order to pay school loans and survive. Still, helping people to tell their stories took over all my free time. Small non-profit organizations began to pursue my help for small promotional projects.
Eventually, I was designing logos, taking promotional photos, and creating websites. I watched as my favorite past time slowly took center stage, and I began to see quite clearly how this hobby became my vocational calling. I meet people everywhere desperate to tell their stories or capture important moments and they don’t know where to start.
Today, I am and Art Teacher by day and MissA Creative during the hours I'm not sleeping or reading! I combine the artistic elements of design and photography with storytelling. I consider it both an honor and a calling to collide with people’s lives, if even for a moment, to help capture a scene of their story. So, whatever your story, I’d love to help you tell it.
A Few Fun Facts...
+ I LOVE Jesus and am constantly trying to follow and be more like HIM by Loving My Neighbor through creativity and empathy! Phil. 3:12 | Isaiah 43
+ I LOVE being an Aunta to my 3 FAVORITE nieces EVER!!!
+ I'm a Dog Mom to 2 outrageously adorable and obnoxious Mini Aussie Shepherds!
+ I'm a Preacher's Daughter who spent a decade and a half in Christian Ministry through churches and Youth For Christ before stepping into my LIFE LONG DREAM of becoming an ART TEACHER!!!
+ I grew up on Anne of Green Gables, Shirley Temple, Judy Garland & John Wayne movies = Classic Cinema :)
+ I've lived in 8 different states, so far, but Montana feels most like home.
+ I've traveled to Uganda, Africa & the Amazon River in Peru... from whence come some of my fave & CRAZIEST life stories!
+ I'm a singer and a wanna-be song-writer with music streaming everywhere under my Artist name - Miss Alaneous!
+ I love to help lead Christ Followers in worshipping their Creator & Savior through music and art!
+ When editing photos, I'm most likely listening to either to blissful silence, or a REAL Random Mix of ALL my FAVE Music, a Audio Book or Binge Watching a new Netflix show while snuggling with my 2 boys... when they are not barking at the wind!
+ I LOVE Fall into Winter... and all that goes with it - leaves, weather, baking, fashion, corn mazes, fall festivals, and on and on!
+ Christmas is my FAVORITE!!! I totally listen to the music & watch the movies ALL year long!
+ I live on a cherry orchard, on a BIG lake, in the middle of NW Montana... LIVING MY BEST LIFE while slowly trying to learn to Live Off the Land and reading WAY too much while waiting around for my Mountain Man to show up! ha
+ I am a total film nerd, got a Masters' degree in talking about movies... DON'T get me started on StarWars, JJ Abrams or anything cinematic if you don't want to be stuck for like 108 hours!
+ My initials are A.D.D... thank you mom & dad :)
+ I AM an artsy, creative, often overly empathetic, extroverted-introvert (believe it or not) Enneagram 4w3 conquering this often cold and cruel world with Jesus & my ADHD Superpower!!! I'm REALLY grateful to have come this far and to now get to encourage the next generation to KEEP learning and growing and reflecting our Creator-Savior through creativity and kindness and uniqueness!!!
+ My sister and her little-growing family are from Uganda (where she started my FAVE school - TerraNovaUganda.org) and my parents recently moved back down South to NWArkansas... they are all missionaries & I visit and am involved as much as Heavenly possible!
© MissAlaneous