Meet Madelyn Gobel

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Madelyn Gobel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Madelyn below.

Madelyn, sincerely appreciate your selflessness in agreeing to discuss your mental health journey and how you overcame and persisted despite the challenges. Please share with our readers how you overcame. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

The main way I have persisted despite challenges related to mental health issues is I learned how to ask for help. One of the hardest things for me to accept was that I didn’t need to struggle all alone, that there were ways to cope and make it through what I was struggling with. I would constantly have breakdown after breakdown and feel like I wasn’t enough, that I wasn’t worth enough to improve. I finally accepted that I needed to take a drastic move or I was going to harm myself or continue to hurt my friend’s and family’s feelings. It didn’t take one trip to a hospital, but two for me to finally snap back into place and to realize I was worth recovery. I learned how to ask for help and not only that, but how to accept the help I was provided. I learned how to cope and how to go through weeks and weeks without a huge breakdown, without feeling like the only escape was to end it all. It was extremely difficult but extremely worth it too.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Lately my main focus has been creating merchandise for my favorite local band Body Rez. With the help of the lead singer, who’s also my best friend, we create unique bleach designed shirts that are constantly a hit. It makes me feel so incredible to know that people enjoy our creations. Going to shows is the best part of it all, watching my favorite band kill it every night and meeting all the amazing people who are a part of the Arizona music scene. We’ve gotten to go to tons of different and unique venues like Yucca Taproom, The Blooze, The 44, and Chopper John’s. The band just released their first album Safeway Plaza and I started selling CDs! It’s so much fun to watch them expand and grow together and I’m very fortunate to be a part of it all. On the side I also have been attempting to expand my business Gay Little Bracelets, a brand based on silly and absurd pony bead accessories. I began creating a line of horror creations with stuffed animals that I like to call my Gay Little Monsters. It’s been difficult to find markets to promote my products but I continue to make them because it simply makes me happy and I love giving them as gifts as well. I hope to be able to find a market for them soon but since it’s such a different concept it’s hard to find where I fit in.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I feel like the three most important areas of knowledge for me are socialization, passion, and patience. Socialization helped me a lot because it was, and still is, so important to make connections with the people around you. That’s how you make an impact, by impacting people and being memorable. The main way I do this is by being extremely kind to everyone I meet and always offering to help in any way possible. Passion is important because you need to truly enjoy and have motivation to do whatever it is you want to do. I worked on this by finding things I already loved to do and using those skills to create my businesses. I loved making bracelets, creepy stuffed animals, and custom tshirts, so I took those passions and expanded them into something more. Finally, patience is extremely important because things take time. You won’t instantly become a smash hit or be known in the community, it takes a lot of time and effort. I encourage people to keep at it and never give up on something you truly love doing.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was unconditionally supporting everything I did. They accepted me with every issue I went through and supported me as much as they possibly could. It was extremely difficult to watch and go through, I can only imagine, but they did it all for me. Then when I was better they continued to support me on all my journeys. They attend my Rocky Horror Picture Shows, they come to Body Rez concerts, they wear my Gay Little Bracelets, and they make me feel like I am enough. On the days that I do still struggle. they are there for me and ready to help however they can. I am so grateful to have such supportive and loving parents like mine.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: body.rez and gaylittlebracelets
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16iZtazTgi/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCSEZ9OYZRLyGas3mVWth2_w?si=WrpHIxI1-7bEhogE
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1gyWZSWOYjdyQdhSFrA4nQ?si=aJN6jYMeSG-9cBtCyccnjA