Meet Maggie Caroline

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

Maggie, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

“If it scares you, then you have to do it.” Sitting at a bar in Chicago, nursing my water, feeling shy and quietly waiting for my boyfriend to be ready to leave, a friend of his approached me. She started talking about how it was living in Chicago (she, my boyfriend, and I were all Kentucky natives) and said she moved here because the idea scared her. “I just think, ‘if it scares me, then I HAVE to do it!'” It may be cliche, but this girl in a bar truly changed my life. I moved to Chicago (scary), I became a model (scary), a kind-of-friend from college and I started a business together (scary) in an arena I had no experience in (scary), I’ve auditioned for things I didn’t feel qualified for (scary) and then I got them (terrifying). Whenever I feel hesitant to put myself out there – which, as a freelance artist for a living, is ESSENTIAL – I think about how cool my life got after I stopped avoiding what scared me and played comfortable where I knew I’d succeed. This is how I approach my work now, and it’s forced me to grow. It’s also brought up my self esteem because when I pull something off that I didn’t think I could, I get to feel double proud that I did it and that I even tried in the first place.

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?

I’ve always been drawn to creative endeavors so I don’t know if I could do just one discipline for the rest of my life. I like to try everything and see what lights me up; I do that something for awhile until I feel comfortable in it, and then that comfort lets me know it’s time to try something else. If I feel comfortable, I don’t feel like I’m growing, and life is too short to be stagnant. In my work life, I have tried to build my brand as being a well-rounded creative who has ideas and either knows or is currently learning how to make her ideas happen, so no matter what you need, I can provide. I’ve found that knowledge is cumulative and many artistic areas bleed into each other, so my skills get sharpened from different angles when being used in different arenas. Plus, I never fully give up a craft, they just take turns being the main focus. When I learn something new, it’s like adding a new plate to spin, and even though I’m looking at this new plate, I’m still keeping all the others I already had up in the air spinning. Right now, I’m building my skills in video production. As of this interview, I am currently wrapping up my first music video: I scouted filming locations, I designed the lighting, I helped in wardrobe and hair styling, I co-designed the sets, I was the director and camera operator, and I’m editing it. (Did I mention I wanted to be well- rounded?) All my past experiences helped me to be able to wear all those hats. Me 5 years ago would not have imagined me doing what I am today, and that’s what makes life exciting for me.

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?

Be humble (don’t be too proud to fail), be curious (my favorite creative question to ask is “what would happen if…?”), and be persistent (be able to take rejection). Early on, start before you’re ready (which is another version of the “do it if it scares you” perspective, I suppose). If you wait until you have all the right gear or wait until you find the perfect mentor or wait for you to feel a certain way about yourself, you’ll never start, and baby steps are still progress. As long as you start and remain humble, curious, and persistent throughout your process, you’ll grow.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

My biggest obstacle is me. I think I’m too inexperienced to try out or too old to start or too dumb to try to learn or XYZ. Imposter syndrome is real and silly and persuasive and sometimes really quiet, like it’s logical and the only rational perspective. Another cliche for you: it’s not a lack of resources, it’s a lack of resourcefulness. Youtube is free education. Most everyone I’ve ever reached out to for help in any area has been so eager to help and nice about passing on knowledge or loaning me supplies. I have to make the effort to learn, and feel worthy of potential success. I have to have the humility and courage to ask questions, and feel worthy of answers and not feel like a burden. I’m always fighting my own fear-led feelings, and fighting my ego-led thoughts. Perhaps it’s lucky to not feel like outside sources are what’s blocking me, but me being my own obstacle is still challenging – I’m around me and fighting my own thoughts constantly. I can really slow myself down if I let me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @themagster92
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HallAndBosch

Image Credits

Carl Elitz