On Separation, Showing Up, and Making Art Anyway with Michelle McKay

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. I’ve kept it in the archive because Michelle’s reflections on creativity, parenting, and artistic evolution are still deeply grounding, especially if you’re navigating life transitions or letting go of creative rules.

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Michelle McKay returns for a conversation about navigating separation, motherhood, and the quiet shifts that shaped her creative work.

We talk about letting go of perfection, showing up through uncertainty, and finding new rhythms in both life and art.

Topics covered: 

• Navigating separation, single parenting, and business simultaneously
• Evolving her artist identity: “photographer” to “photographic artist”
• Letting go of perfectionism in editing and memory-keeping
• The impact of in-person vs. online client reveals
• Finding local “social influencers” to grow a photography business
• Real talk on mom guilt, presence, and permission to seek
• Creating and launching Beautiful Ordinary Lightroom Presets
• Michelle’s iconic photo and what it revealed about noticing joy

Where Michelle Is Now:

Michelle McKay is a poetic photographic artist, writer, and educator based in Geelong, Australia. She continues to create honest, artful family portraits and now leads We Are Memory Catchers — an international community and educational space for photographers drawn to real-life storytelling. Her work centers the beauty in the everyday and the stories worth preserving before they slip away.

Connect with Michelle and access the archived episode resources here: 

→ dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-archive