Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Kubasch.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Artistry has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. In high school, I had undiagnosed depression and anxiety. I found comfort in art. I was the kid who would stay up all night to paint posters for Earth Day and hang them around the school. These posters weren’t assignments. It was something I felt compelled to do, regardless of the response. I enrolled in as many art classes as possible in the small school district.
Photography was intriguing to me. I loved the idea that I could take an image of something, essentially freezing time, and developing the moment into a physical image that could be experienced by other people. It was like having my own time machine, something that could look into the past.
In 2018, I was lost in postpartum depression. I felt useless and empty; completely drained and overwhelmed in motherhood. At my son’s one-year milestone photoshoot with our family photographer, I began to feel hopeful. Watching her work was eye-opening. She was having so much fun doing her job, and I thought to myself, “I want to have that much fun while I’m ‘working’.”
That was the moment that I began pursuing photography full-time. I photographed anyone who would let me take their picture. I needed a portfolio, and many of my friends graciously lent their faces and families to the cause. Fast forward to 4 years later, and I’m running a thriving photography business out of my home, mentoring fellow photographers and supporting other creatives in the middle of their endeavors.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My gut instinct is to answer this question, “Lol, no.”
Everyone has their own mountains to climb; mine included depression, anxiety, postpartum mood disorders, a global pandemic, the everyday ups and downs of marriage and parenting, shame, guilt, fear, envy, rage, imposter syndrome, doubt, childhood trauma, and everything else in between.
Anytime you put your heart and soul into something, your entire experience as a human being enters the picture. You can be faced with a smooth road, and out of nowhere, something is triggered that causes a landslide; blocking your road, creating a lot of extra work ahead. In my experience, these roadblocks and unwelcome terrains are 90% self-induced. I created so many roadblocks out of my own insecurities and doubts. Something that I still struggle with, and will most likely continue to struggle with throughout my life. That’s what it is to be human, to experience highs and lows. What matters is how you manage those highs and lows.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Professionally I have been a photographer for the past 4 years. My specialties included personal branding photography, family documentary and lifestyle, as well as maternity and birth photography. The work I am most proud of is my birth work. Birth is vulnerable and raw, and every story is unique. There are no reshoots. Birth stories are purely documentary, and I love every minute of them. Being invited into a birth space is such a privilege, and to be trusted with capturing the birth story in images is truly an honor.
Especially during COVID, photography sessions of any kind were non-essential, and hospital restrictions were necessarily strict. This opened the opportunity to work closely with home-birth midwives and doulas, and for me to begin my own birth support training as a doula. I knew that if I was ever going to support hospital births during and after the pandemic, professional training as a doula was essential. Some of my favorite images are from the births I attended as a doula first, with photography skills as an added bonus. There’s something special about building a relationship with the birthing person, supporting them during the labor, and being able to capture the entire experience for them to look back on. I’m really lucky that I was able to experience that.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Introverted. Definitely introverted. I struggled a lot with finding my own voice and identity, trying on a lot of hats but never finding one that really fit. I knew I had ideas and interests that didn’t align with the more traditional aspects of my upbringing, and there was a lot of back and forth about my behaviors and preferences that caused a lot of shame to build within me.
I think it aligns fairly well with the stereotypical coming of age story: girl is trying to figure herself out, girl receives conflicting information, girl learns not to trust herself and shame becomes deeply rooted in the psyche, rebellion and frustration ensue. That is why art became such an important facet of my life; it felt like the only safe way to express myself without repercussions. I could paint something to release an emotion like rage, and it wouldn’t bother the people around me; thus reducing the potential for shame to grow.
Losing myself in books and stories also felt safe. I loved reading and becoming absorbed in the story. Also, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time was a staple that I am forever grateful for. Playing video games gave me insight into creative worlds and allowed me to explore what was possible for my own artistic growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://megankubasch.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megan.kubasch/
Image Credits
Megan Kubasch
