Today we’d like to introduce you to Mackensie Archibald.
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?
I have always been creative. Whether that’s drawing with pen and ink, charcoal, or painting. However, photography felt different when I started noticing and paying attention to details. I continued using this art form as a way to help me get outside of my head on the darker days, and to continuously enliven the brighter ones. Fast forward to age 31, and it’s a fully established business.
Photos were always an important part of family gatherings, as my mom loves to capture the time that our family spends together. Through her view, I saw and learned the importance of not only pictures of those you spent your time around but that good, candid photographs capture the memory and detailed moments.
For me, photography is a love letter for how I see this world that I admire greatly in its imperfect beauty. All of the textures, motion, feelings, shadows, light, or lack thereof captured within one moment in time.
I continued developing my skills in photography throughout college and realized, through the inspiration of one of my professors, there was so much more to Digital Media, with his help I discovered I also loved Videography. Moving pictures made sense similarly to photographs in the way I saw the world and noticed details.
I continued to develop both skills, and for a while I specialized in portraits and weddings.
Now on the other side of over 200 + plus weddings, I’m able to not only skillfully handle an event, but help the planner where necessary.
My interest in Digital Media further blossomed, growing to develop a love and interest in graphic design at the tail end of college.
This led to my first marketing position after completing my bachelors at Common Ground Food Co-op. There, my skills were encouraged and honored, and I was able to continuously grow and pursue a skill that I had wanted to develop since I had first gotten into watching the Food Network: capture not only how beautiful people were, but how dynamic and important food is. Showcasing locally grown goods that farmers grew within a 100 mile radius in both photo and video form was both a highlight and a triumph of a position. Hearing their stories, and then being able to capture and make them known to show the world just how hard they’ve worked? Incredible.
Now, after 13+ years in photography, 9+ in videography, and 7+ in graphic design, I’ve continued to grow as a creative and marketing guru. I now run a business under my own name: “Mackensie Archibald: Digital Media Specialist”
I love my individual clients and the opportunities I have to help show off an accomplishment, whether that be a wedding to your sweetheart, headshots for your business, or a traditional dish to your family, made by you, a local chef.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
While it has been a bumpy road in realms such as life and love, I’ve strived, succeeded, and appreciated the journey. A great part of myself is my growth, I’m not a stagnant person. One of the best examples was that while I was working to get my bachelor’s degree, I was also a new mom, had a part time job, and continued to grow my business. How did I do it all? If I wasn’t organized, I sure as heck would not have had time to recharge let alone create, have hobbies or generally be a person. However, it was also due to a large amount of community support.
It’s important to talk about obstacles that life throws at you– always. They’re unavoidable, and including others in your own personal journey will likely benefit not only you, but them as well. The saying “Grief shared grief is halved;” joy shared is joy doubled comes to mind. I try to bring an accessible environment for others to share not only their joys, but their woes. I want to put into the world the support that I have needed in tough moments in my life.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in all things Digital Media, which includes photography, videography, graphic design, website design, and all things marketing.
Photography was one of my first “wow” moments that I had as a creative, and it was one of the first creative mediums that I tried my hand at which both balances my desire for that people see themselves for how truly lovely they are, as well as becoming a form of art that is now accessible for the general population.
I’m most proud of continuing to follow what I love and not settling for a “I guess this is better than nothing,” or “I guess this is fine.” mentality even with the strifes and setbacks I’ve had. You can follow your dreams, they are important and can absolutely come to fruition– It just takes time.
I could not continue to do this without community support from my parents, Terry and Kathy, as well as my boyfriend Karthik, the sweetness my daughter brings to my life daily, and my lovingly supportive friends.
What sets me apart is that not only am I great at what I do, but I’m great at it because I care about my clients.
Tell me your life story, because I’d love to hear it. How did your business grow from the ground up? What gravitates you towards the particular dish you are showing off this month in your restaurant? What’s the history behind your love of your craft? Yes, let’s grab coffee and go thrifting as a consult. Tell me the difficult journey you’ve had with self-confidence and why so I know that when I’m photographing, and to take extra time and care to make you feel confident. You can only do payment plans? Done. No interest.
I strive to work with people that care about the community around them and set one’s heart on making it better for everyone, because I do too.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Firstly, my kiddo. She’s the light of my entire life, and brings so much kindness, sweetness and intelligence to the world. She is my biggest fan, and I’m hers as well. I love being a mom and everyday I grow as she does, everyday I motivate her, as well as myself. I feel lucky at the opportunity to be her parent.
Community support and understanding. If everyone had community support and people met them where they were, the world would firmly be a better place. This includes those closest to you, friends, the people you confide in, as well as people you’ve never been formally introduced to but are down on their luck. By working with local businesses, this can create a better environment where everyone would flourish due to funds staying within the community. This would create more opportunities for jobs, community spaces, also known as third places, and other forms of growth. I continue to aim to work for my favorite types of clients: locally owned businesses, nonprofits, and individuals in the community. I firmly believe in everything that I do, and that if we work to showcase and support our local community, we will all grow tenfold.
Learning is a lifelong process. This means two things, that we need to be patient with those who are not as capable yet additionally, that you should be learning new skills throughout your life to do better and to be better.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mackensiearch.wixsite.com/create
- Instagram: @mackensie.arch
- Facebook: Mackensie Archibald Digital Media Specialist
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackensie-archibald
