Meet Nicol Ragland

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicol Ragland a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nicol , so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I don’t think i’ve overcome it but rather built a relationship with it. I usually see imposter syndrome more as explorer syndrome. It’s really just an internal measuring post to cultivate awe that helps move me into the wonder of the world instead of just the the weight.

I find it usually shows up internally when i’m meant to go directly into something
that’s challenging me to be better.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My focus is cause driven storytelling through documentary photography and film.

My photo essays and films have covered the occupy movement, the taking of land in far west Texas for private gain, the health impact due to chemical farming and the rise in regenerative agriculture as well as a young girl’s dream of becoming the first black, barrel racing champion with cystic fibrosis and, most recently, a film covering prison reform by way of a program called ‘Poetic Justice’ of which teaches women in prison creative writing and poetry.

I have a deep care for the land and all things wild of which tends to weave its way into each storyline
with a hope to reflect patterns in living systems.

There’s a lot happening in the world today but I think if there was a way each of us had a deeper connection to ourselves and realized our inner ecosystem is reliant on our outer ecosystem, we just might act accordingly
and towards collective action, resilience and adaptation.

My fundamental belief is that beauty in imagery coupled with spaciousness is the portal to those outcomes.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I grew up in both urban and rural environments and have carried a continued interest in bridging the two.

My brother and I would swim in creeks and catch crawdads and half dollar turtles along with creating infirmaries out of shoe boxes when the critters wouldn’t survive the storms. We were both pretty quiet along with a healthy dose of just watching animals, Colorado mountains and river waters.

This was a big part of shaping my trajectory towards studying environmental science in college
to then working for the World Wildlife Fund in Nepal which then led to a lot of wondering the planet
learning different countries and peoples while shooting for multiple international NGO’s.

All the while trying to learn what makes us, US.

My advice for folks early in their journey would be to pay close attention to what makes you come alive and follow it,
regardless of whether it makes sense within the confines of identity or ‘what you do.’ It’s a muscle and you’ll find that the stronger you make it, the more the world offers itself to you.
Our limitations are usually self imposed based on beliefs so the best you can do for yourself is to remove yourself from your comfort zone as much as possible in order to be expanded into all sorts of possibilities of liberation.
It’s ultimately what we all want so be it and create it.
Its infectious…

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’ve been building a contingent of folks focused on patterns of living systems,
exploring how biological wisdom informs social change.

I adore authoring and co-authoring artful documentaries and photo essays
focused on ecological systems, land based resilience and community storytelling.

Partners and clients with interest in blending cinematic visuals with systems thinking to evoke
emotion and creative strategy to tell stories that move with nuance and the middle way.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All images were shot by me.
Photo credit can read : NICOL RAGLAND Photography

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