bio

an introduction

I created my Tumblr on November 20, 2010. From that moment on, I have grown to love sharing bits and pieces of myself through the form of a blog. With the chaos of life, I let this little joy of mine slip away, but as I enter into a new chapter of my life―one in which I am passionately intentional about how I spend my time and energy―I have decided to pick it back up again. It may take some easing into, so I won't make any promises about a weekly schedule, but I will promise you that I will pour my heart out and be 100% real whenever I do take the time to write to you. 

I am so accustomed to spilling my guts online that I assume everyone has been with me from the start, and that we're like old, old friends who've known each other since our awkward stages. I forget that I'm a stranger to most of you. 

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Madisen, I am 21-years-old, and I'm a Pisces, INFP, and Enneagram Type 4. I love personality evaluations. I was born and raised in Virginia. I have two younger siblings who I adore more than anything. I have two dogs that I love equally as much. I am a writer.

Something that I always get asked about: I was a Christian up until a few years ago when I discovered that that lifestyle wasn't for me. I still consider myself a spiritual person and aim to connect with the world around me through love. 

I've never been stung by a bee. I have a tattoo. I have eight piercings. My parents are stoked about it. I am a vegetarian (aspiring vegan) who is allergic to tree nuts, which is both funny and annoying. Currently, I am in my third year of college studying studio + digital arts. I just moved to Los Angeles, California, kind of on a whim, where I live in a sweet little apartment with my boyfriend and our dogs. I love my apartment. It is light and cozy and feels like home. I love this city. It's beautiful and inspiring. 

I love yoga and self-help books and people with warm voices. My mother was born in Colombia. I struggle with an assortment of mental health issues, including anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. I like to be outspoken about my journey with these challenges because I know how alone it can feel, and I want to break the stigma that mental illness is something to be ashamed of.

Right now I am reading several books at once because I am a child who cannot decide what she wants for dessert, so she orders cake, pie, and ice cream. Self-help book: You Are A Badass; a book on mental health: The Happiness Hypothesis; Lifestyle: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up; Leisure: Tender is the Night

I could tell you more, but you'll get to know me further as I share these blog posts, as well as continue to document my life through photographs on Instagram, bestow intellectual revelations on Twitter (ha ha), and maybe make some YouTube videos? 

Thanks for letting me into a fragment of your day. I know it can be chaotic, annoying, and full of a lot of meaningless bullshit, but maybe this wasn't one of those things. I hope that we can be friends.

take care,