Staying Creatively Fueled with Personal Projects with Stacey Ilyse

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. I’ve kept it in the archive because it’s a generous, story-rich conversation about creativity, motherhood, and the power of personal projects to reconnect you with meaning and momentum.

If you're feeling creatively stuck or emotionally flat, this one’s a gentle recharge.

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Stacey Ilyse shares how her personal projects have helped her reconnect with her kids, sharpen her craft, and find unexpected meaning in everyday moments. From 365 challenges in the dead of winter to underwater photography and self-portraiture, Stacey opens up about what it takes to stay creatively nourished over time.

We also explore how showing up honestly in your own story invites clients, students, and even your own children to see their lives differently — and document more bravely.

Topics covered: 

• The emotional and artistic fuel behind Stacey’s 365 project
• Using photography to stay present in long winters and motherhood’s messiness
• Connecting with her daughter through playful engagement, not posing
• When the camera becomes part of you (and your kids welcome it)
• Why it’s okay to help moments along — and they're still honest
• Letting clients see what’s possible through your personal work
• Mentoring photographers through creative ruts and artistic self-doubt
• Breaking through fears (like underwater work and “ugly” indoor light)
• Stacey’s workshop Breaking the Glass Ceiling and why it works
• The story behind her iconic self-portrait in bed with her daughters + what it captures about fleeting seasons in motherhood

Connect with Stacey + access the free Mini Mag for this episode, along with other archived episode resources here: → dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-archive