i learned i was becoming a mama just over three years ago. it has since been the most crazy, rewarding, stressful, bi-polar emotion inducing ride i have ever been on. in these three years i have had two babies, both girls and calling life hectic and full, of love, etc. is an understatement.

i have been on instagram for just about the same amount of time. i admit i didn’t post as much as i do now, but i have been part of this community for some time. as a mom, who is mainly at home with her kids, (or out adventuring with her kids,) this daily place i go is a haven for me. in it i find inspiration and motivation and life lessons and simple beauty on the daily. friendships with people i have never met and connections with, if not for this place, total strangers.

i love the internet and especially instagram for this. the husband thinks i’m addicted, but i just think he has a different experience with it.

anyway, some of the feeds i am most drawn to are those of other moms. like me. who share the little and big things and who tend to make me laugh out loud, who i feel a strange sort of closeness to and empathy for, and who i can relate in some ways to. for i awhile now i have wanted to share some of those people with you. and so, mamagram was born.

the first in this feature is the insanely talented painter, boldly beautiful mama of two boys from florida, lauren noel. i was instantly attracted to her ig gallery for her gorgeous artwork and then for her honest approach to how she shares. it’s always a pleasure when her photos pop up in my feed.

1. to instagram the way you do is to document. why did you choose this platform? have you always been a photographer/documentor?

i actually attended and art school for middle and high school. there i took photography classes but never messed around with digital work and it was obvious then that photography was not my calling haha. even now and using instagram i don’t really find myself a photographer in a way. i mean we all kind of are that use this platform but i wouldn’t really say my feed is the kind of feed that you’d find jaw dropping images.

2. what do you love about instagram versus other forms of online socializing? are you on any other social media?

there is something about instagram that allows you to connect with others in such a different way than twitter or facebook. i do have a facebook but really only use it for the purpose of my family members getting updates on the boys. i love that instagram has brought women into my life that inspire me constantly. i’ve made some incredible relationships, it has allowed me to share my love of art, and it’s been a great tool in bringing awareness to autism. i don’t have a ton of relationships with others that have children with autism. instagram has brought these relationships into my life. it has allowed me to not really feel alone in the world of autism.

3. you are so raw and real in your posts. that’s part of the reason i love your feed so much. talk to me about sharing and what it means to you.

i’ve always been an incredibly open person. i think being vulnerable has it’s pros and cons like anything. i never want to portray myself in a way that’s false and untrue. i think we all have a story and i’m just telling mine one photo at a time. it’s become more important to me with using instagram to send a message. it’s not always the same message. i think that instagram has truly given us the means to change things. i want to share with others my love for life, my love for parenting and my love for god. really my favorite feeds are not always the ones with great photos but the ones that are open and true and brave enough to share the appropriate and deep parts of their lives.

4. your photos are high contrast, full of colour, bright and beautiful. every. single. one. what’s is one take-away you can share to getting great shots like yours?

hahaha i don’t even want to say they are great shots. shoot sometimes i’ll have 50 photos of one pose or scene and there will be just one good shot. some photos are more natural than others. i am a freak though about how my feed flows. i think that’s the artist in me because truly they are our galleries. i try to find a color pattern almost you could say. where there is one staple color that is in one photo and that carries on into the next.

5. i usually take my time taking in your photos and words and when i scroll to the next i always leave inspired. who and what inspires you? on instagram and other (don’t want to say “and in real life”, because instagram is part of real life too (despite what some may say!! lol))

lust for life? oh absolutely!! i love my children with all my heart and i want them to experience everything that this life has to offer. i crave adventures and excitement. i can’t wait for the day where i can go backpacking with my boys in europe or even take them to jamaica where they can learn more about their heritage. we are not promised tomorrow so i want my children to feel the most love they possibly can today! i want them to enjoy life but also learn how to be great men of god. having and raising children is not something we are entitled to it is a gift. i was lucky enough to be blessed twice so i plan on trying to be the best mother i can for my boys. that means loving them unconditionally, making sure they never feel like a burden and always being honest with them.