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This week we are inspired by a woman who amazes us with her creativity and eye for photography.
Stephanie McQuaid, the gal behind the hair at The Redhead Roamer, takes incredible photos and promotes Prince Edward Island and the world through social media.
We reached out to Stephanie because of her dedication, drive and hard work. We love following along with her journey on Instagram and seeing what she is up to next.
"I’ve always been in love with the little Island that I am so lucky to call home. I get so excited to share the Island and my travels with my followers," says Stephanie.
We wanted to know a little more information about what she does and why she does it so we asked her a bunch of questions to really know more about her passion and purpose.
With almost 10,000 followers, Stephanie has clearly been dedicated to building her brand and business through photography. She is also an advanced drone pilot and a registered nurse. We also love that her insta bio says aspiring mermaid, aren't we all?
Aside from being a badass human, we really wanted to know what her why was and her answer was connection.
She explained that she loves how her social media platform has allowed her to connect with people all over the world.
She explained further and said, "I’m able to give visitors tips and an insight into my favourite things about PEI. Hearing stories of childhood memories of how PEI is so important to strangers and that my photos have them reliving these special memories is incredible. I have mailed photos around the world to people who love PEI so that they can have a piece of the island with them."
Stephanie's photos aren't just featured on Instagram or in strangers homes, one of her biggest accomplishments to date was being chosen to be published in Canadian Geographic’s Ultimate Canadian Instagram photos book.
From posting photos as a creative outlet to now a published photographer, Stephanie is so inspiring and so humble.
"I never imagined I would be published ever, let alone in a publications like that. I still can’t believe that happened."
With success comes challenges and learning. One of the main challenges Stephanie has had to overcome is her spelling.
"I am a horrible speller, always have been. I re-read and read over before I post but mistakes always find their way through the edits," she explained.
Luckily, I’ve got a great pack of pals who text me right away if they see any spelling mistakes. Bless them."
Creatives are always inspired by someone or something and we learned that Stephanie is inspired by PEI. She said that she loves her island and naturally wants to get out and explore it. She explained that even though it seems small to people on the mainland, she's been exploring her whole life and still finds lots of corners that are unseen. Stephanie is inspired to share the beauty and magic of PEI with everyone and loves that she gets to share stories of the Islanders and showcase what they love to do.
We wanted to know a little bit more about her routine, her self care rituals and what she does to stay focused when it comes to being a creative and a nurse.
She explained that she doesn't have a daily routine right now and tends to get up and go right to work due to her schedule but she is working on creating one that works well for her goals.
She also mentioned that spending time with her 91-year-old grandmother is her self care. She said her grandma is her best friend and she calls her every day. PS: She also has a story highlight of her g-ma on Insta that is so sweet, you must go watch it.
We asked Stephanie's advice for anyone looking to impact the world and she replied with, "Just do it. Don’t wait for that perfect moment or for everything thing in your life to line up. Jump in, start now because if not there is someone behind you diving in headfirst.'
We are just so inspired by Stephanie and we are motivated by her creativity and love for her community.
Lastly, we wanted to know what Stephanie loves to do in her free time when she isn't taking incredible photos or saving peoples lives.
She shared that she loves to be outside participating in a variety of activities like biking, hiking, snowshoeing, disc golfing, swimming and road trips. She also mentioned how much she loves travelling and how lucky she was to go backpacking for three months around South America. She said she is in love with the culture, the food and the language and concluded with, "I’m constantly planning my next adventure to get back down there."
Stephanie aka @redheadroamer is someone all creatives should follow. She tells incredible stories with images and her aesthetic is drool-worthy.
We are so grateful we could highlight her on this week's blog and we invite you to check out her etsystore and instagram.
Peace, love and carrots,
Cierra and Mike