Glamography Magazine aims to feature everyday women and their stories. Our mission is to give these women the opportunity to break out of their day-to-day, get glammed up a little, and celebrate their true, authentic selves. This is Teahl's interview from the upcoming issue of Glamography:

CORY: Okay so you know I like asking these big questions. This is always a hard one but can you tell us a little of your story?

TEAHL: Like many little girls, I grew up thinking life was a fairytale. My dream was always to meet someone charming who would save me from the cruelties of life. Like many little girls, I grew up. I realized sometimes the people who hurt you most are called family and friendship is often a fleeting thing. I discovered that if you grow up not knowing what love is supposed to feel like, you’ll cling to people who feel like home—and they’ll hurt you just the same. After years of thinking I would soon be rescued, I decided to save myself.

I grew up in rural Ohio and lived there most of my life. In 2020, I moved to Kansas thinking I was going to start a new life, and I did, just not in the way I had intended. I moved to Kansas as a married woman and am now happily divorced. After getting divorced, I began the journey of discovering who I really am, and it made me feel like I’d been asleep the past 13 years. I no longer recognize the person I was before 2020; although I feared facing the world alone, doing so helped me find myself. I’ve discovered my purpose in life is helping people, and I believe sharing our stories is one of the best ways we can support each other.

CORY: Another big question: what would you say makes you uniquely powerful?

TEAHL: All women carry multiple roles, but I find myself playing more roles daily. Social worker, writer, chef, maid, chauffeur, advocate, botanist, model, singer, lover, friend, sister, supporter, student, colleague, dancer, fighter, therapist—sometimes I amaze myself that I can play all these roles and more, yet I keep moving forward.

CORY: I don’t think we can ignore that beauty standards are at play whenever we are doing a photoshoot or talking about photographing women in our culture. I love hearing different perspectives on what people hold to be beautiful. What is YOUR definition of beauty?

TEAHL: I think someone is truly beautiful when they love themselves enough to just be them—a genuine smile is beauty.

I try my best every day to match my definition. I think it’s important to give myself grace and remember others’ judgments are just opinions—it makes me smile knowing I am confident enough with myself to not worry how others perceive me.

CORY: Why did you decide to book your photoshoot?

TEAHL: Since discovering who I really am, I wanted an opportunity to express myself without fear of judgment, and a photoshoot seemed like the perfect opportunity to do that.

CORY: Were you nervous about anything before your photoshoot?

TEAHL: Sometimes I’m socially awkward and I usually prefer not to have my picture taken, so I knew the experience was going to be challenging for me, but Cory is always so cheerful and has a way of making you feel at-ease.

I’ve done a photoshoot with Cory twice now and each time I am surprised by how well the pictures capture “me.”

I make a 6-hour round trip to do these photoshoots and it’s well worth the drive. In a setting like this, being comfortable is extremely important and Cory does a great job of making you feel relaxed.

CORY: I love to hear that! Also, I appreciate you making the drive. Sometimes people tell me I'm too far away when they're only 30 minutes away. [Laughs] Okay, last question: what would you say to someone on the fence about doing a photoshoot, specifically one that’s just for them?

TEAHL: I didn’t realize how much I got out of this experience until I was telling a friend and (non-humbly) bragging about my pictures and she said, “That’s great you got so much out of it.”

You may think to yourself that it’s just a photoshoot, and you may come up with reasons that prevent you from booking your own session, but I think you should give yourself a chance. Challenge yourself to book a photoshoot and be open to the entire experience; try some outfits you’ve always wanted to wear but are too scared to do publicly, dress as your alter ego, do something silly. It is one of the best investments you could ever make in yourself.

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