Kimberly Meadowlark - Inspirational Women
FULL INTERVIEW
MGM: Where were you born and raised?
Kimberly: Denham Springs Louisiana.
MGM: In which city do you mostly reside?
Kimberly: Moved to midcity Baton Rouge in 2015
MGM: What is you educational background and/or experience?
Kimberly: I graduated Denham Springs high school in 2011 and opted out of going to college. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do with my life. I worked two jobs to save my money and in 2013 like my first real camera. All the while I was also exploring the art world by selling my paintings.
MGM: Currently, where are you employed?
Kimberly: I just made six years self-employment in August, and could not be more thankful for the career I chose.
MGM: What is your job title?
Kimberly: I am equal parts photographer and artist
MGM: What is your favorite part about living here?
Kimberly: You get a little taste of city, but you also get that comfortable down-home family feeling. The food, culture, and traditions are pretty unmatched.
MGM: What is an event in your life that significantly changed the course of it?
Kimberly: While my life has been filled with heaviness and quite frankly a lot of trauma, the birth of my son in 2017 was the biggest turnaround for my life. Becoming a mother shifted my perspective in every area possible. The emotional and spiritual growth truly shaved me in my career and to what it is now.
MGM: What negative impacts did that event have for you, even if only temporary?
Kimberly: I would love to say that becoming a mother with nothing but magic, but it also came with a lot of questioning. My self-worth, my identity, if I was strong enough to make it as a single mom, etc.
MGM: What good came out of that event for you? How did it improve your life?
Kimberly: It certainly also blessed my time in focusing on my craft to be in full-time mom mode.
MGM: How do you feel you have overcome that event?
Kimberly: It took some time, but I finally found the balance of caring for both.
MGM: What advice would you give to someone who is going through something similar?
Kimberly: Whether you’re a mom or not, burnout is real. It’s very difficult to stay inspired sometimes whenever it feels like your whole world is closing out on you. It’s so important to step back, meditate, manifest, and work towards being more present each day. Take things day by day and hour by hour until you fine tune how it is you’re meant to operate.
MGM: When was a time that you stuck up for yourself and how did that enhance your life?
Kimberly: Standing up to my dad with a major component of my life. I loved him so deeply and wanted to take care of him, until he could become the best version of himself. I housed a lot of pain and trauma through years of his addiction. I finally got to a point in my late teens where I had to put a stop to that relationship. It was incredibly difficult, but I knew that I couldn’t go on carrying that weight. It took a lot of soul-searching and a lot of meditating for strength to get through it, but ultimately removing that darkness from my life allowed me the room to grow.
MGM: Have you received any special awards, recognition, or acknowledgements?
Kimberly: I’ve been interviewed and published in a number of magazines. It’s sometimes difficult to receive an award or be noted as the “best”, because there’s truly no way of winning when it comes to art. We need more of it from everyone. It’s subjective. There’s no right and wrong, no rules. However, it is always humbling when someone reaches out to highlight my craft.
MGM: What quality about yourself are you most grateful for?
Kimberly: I am most grateful for my ability to make friends. It’s gotten me a very far in life, and I’ve had the greatest privilege meeting some incredible people. I’ll never meet a stranger.
MGM: What about yourself are you most proud?
Kimberly: Very proud of myself for staying true to whatever it is I want to be doing and not selling out to someone else’s vision.
MGM: What do you consider to be your life motto?
Kimberly: My life motto is to protect your peace.
MGM: Who inspires, or has inspired, you in your life?
Kimberly: Mark Rothko
MGM: Here can be the hardest one for many, tell us about yourself. Anything additional you want to share? It can be anything from your favorite recipe, to the worst time of your life. Anything more you want to share with us.
Kimberly: A lot of people assume that I am a social butterfly that is out all the time. While I do enjoy making friends and attending different art events, overall I am a homebody. I love my solitude, cooking, baking, and working in my yard.