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

Madisyn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

What I enjoy as a documentary artist is that I often have the opportunity to start conversations by being a voice for others than myself. My ‘Beliefs without Basis’ project is a direct example of that; the project focuses on the stereotypes, dangers, and judgments that come with being a Black man in America. Being a Black woman in America, I’ve experienced some of these discriminations myself, but I’ve witnessed even more of these discriminations directed towards my Black male family, friends, peers, and even strangers. Throughout the project, I researched the history of some of these most come beliefs and photographed them in the form of still lifes. At the same time, I was interviewing Black men I met during my time in Savannah (a city with a deep racial history) and learning about their experience in America. I photographed them in environments that represented their characters and encouraged them to include things they’d prefer to be known for instead of the beliefs commonly placed on them without basis. Sharing this project became even more emotional for me when I found that the other Black women around me had witnessed these exact discriminations in classrooms, towards their brothers, endangering their sons, and more. That moment solidified for me the importance of this conversation, not only with people who relate but, more importantly, people who don’t.

Madisyn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When I was younger, I fell in love with photography through traveling with my family, and bringing back visual stories of the places I stepped foot and the paths I crossed allowed me to express my love for the world in a way I wasn’t yet able to describe through words. Now, I find my passion in the potential images have in changing the world. Early on I realized how important it was to me that the images I create have an impact. The size of the impact isn’t important, I just want to share varying cultures, environments, and perspectives because I knew how much those things had inspired me. As a documentary artist, I’m devoted to creating images that inspire others to enjoy our world’s natural beauty and acknowledge social conflicts, and the medium of photography allows me to share these things in a direct and effective way.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Many members of society believe they’re boosting creative ecosystems by donating to museums, viewing art in the media, and following their favorite artists on Instagram. While these are all great, I believe the best way society can shift to better supporting artists and creatives is to pivot further toward supporting them directly. Just like other members of society, creatives have bills to pay, and many freelancers have to spend time away from their artwork to make a living in some other way. If society begins to support artists and creatives by commissioning and purchasing artwork directly from creatives (instead of places like amazon and large brands) we can boost a thriving creative ecosystem and allow artists to make a living through their passion.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me is the connections I’ve made. Artwork and the creative mindset bring people together that might not have found each other otherwise. I’ve met some of my favorite people in creative spaces. Whether that’s happened in art classes, through collaboration, or over social media, art encourages community building, and that’s something I genuinely enjoy.

Contact Info:

• Website: madisynwphotography.com
• Instagram: @madi.lenss
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/madisyn-welborn/

Image Credits
Madisyn Welborn