Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey McNally.
Lindsey, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always loved all kinds of art. Growing up, I would paint, draw, throw pottery, take photos, make short films on my dad’s camcorder, and write poetry. I felt like when I created things I was somehow contributing to the beauty of the world, along with other artists. So, in college, I decided to continue down an artistic path and major in film. I had wonderful hands-on experience in classes that led to internships and thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with others. I accepted an amazing video producing a job at a local production company right out of college, that I’m still with three years later.
I have loved all the things that brought me to where I am, but I think somewhere in the process of becoming a responsible adult and just checking off boxes, I lost the thrill of creating art for myself. I didn’t film, or photograph, or write for beauty’s sake anymore.
About one year ago, I decided to make an effort to create more passion projects on my own terms and turned those soul-feeding projects into McNally Artistry.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Things have definitely not always been smooth. My struggles have specifically been with anxiety and self-care. Juggling my full-time job, my side hustle, my husband, my dogs, volunteering at church, and friends has been difficult! I put pretty much everything before my own needs when it should’ve been the opposite.
I’m learning that I’m not very good with boundaries! I’m learning that the more I pour myself out, the more I need to be re-filled. I’m learning I need much more “me” time than I thought. I’m learning its okay to say “no” to certain projects that take up too much time or don’t pay enough. I’m learning to step away from my phone for a day or two. I’m learning to value myself and hold others to the same standard.
Young women, my advice is: work hard and rest hard. Don’t compare your mental capacity to someone else’s, because of we all function and work differently. Know your boundaries. Take care of yourself mentally before you reach your limits- not after. Learn to lovingly say “no” if you need and don’t let anyone, even yourself, make you feel guilty about it. Believe in your value and hold others to the same standard.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with McNally Artistry – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I do a lot of things, honestly! My favorite thing to do is event and lifestyle photography. Those are the projects I find the most fun, but I’d say my specialty is videography. During my internships and in college, I started doing video interviews and promos for organizations and businesses. I do a lot of that in my full-time job now, too! I think finding a female in the video world thats passionate about promoting other female businesses is a rare thing, which is some of what sets me apart.
I get a lot of my clients just by being nice to strangers or through recommendations, and I’m pretty proud of that. I’d love to build a better brand and have a swanky website one day, but I think its cool that my connections are because of me and not based off of the internet.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well-positioned for?
I think some of our best opportunities come from our challenges. For example, women have often been expected to look a certain way and it’s degrading, but without that struggle, I don’t think we’d have so many female influencers speaking out about body image and self-love today! Women are being given more and more opportunities to use their voice than ever before and it’s being taken seriously.
Contact Info:
- Email: lindseybmcnally@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcnallyartistry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcnallyartistry/
Image Credit:
@mcnallyartistry
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