Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariah Douglas
Hi Mariah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Since I could remember, I’ve always been creative. Creativity is embedded in who God created me to be. I’ve explored many expressions of creativity. I love trying new things from cooking, to videography and many different things in between. My love for the camera really budded in high school. My parents bought me my first Canon when I graduated from middle school. I started off with taking photos and nature was my favorite subject. There is something intriguing about the art of God’s creation that would make my heart smile when capturing it. I went on to take photography as an elective in high school and it became a passion hobby for me. While in high school I also fell in love with tech. I guess you can call me a creative tech geek, lol.
I picked up computer science and web design was where I discovered my passion for using creativity in tech. HTML was something that came easy for me but I also loved the challenge of making what I saw in my head come alive through technical language. My interest in tech led me to major in Electrical Engineering in college. It was all good until I reached Calc II. I took it 4 times but for the life of me I could not pass the class. I needed to pass it in order to move on to my core engineering classes. It was then I realized that maybe engineering wasn’t for me. I also realized that a lot of my decisions of what path I should take was based on other peoples opinions or suggestions. This led me on this journey of rediscovering myself and what I liked.
I really wanted to explore interior design but there was only one school that offered it as a program in my home state, Maryland, and it was an art school. I didn’t have the money to go there so I stayed where I was and major hopped for a while. I changed my major a total of 4 times but nothing seemed to captivate me.
It took me 8 years to finish my bachelor’s degree. In the last 2 years of my matriculation, I became a mom. I reached my capacity of how many loans I could take out and wind up finishing with a BS of Applied Liberal Arts with a concentration in Information Systems & Business. Quite a mouthful right? I had settled in my mind that even though I wasn’t enthused about finding a career path with a degree I had to explain; I was willing to do whatever it took to be the best mom I could be to my daughter. After I graduated God told me to stay home.
I started a YouTube channel where I shared natural hair content. I didn’t really have an interest in creating frequent content there. It was more of a reference point to answer the question that was asked quite often, “what do you put in your hair?” On Instagram, I would share other natural hair content as well as my journey as a mom, life moments & lessons and my love for cooking.
My content as evolved but at the core of any piece of content I share, my passion is to help others. I show up to encourage other women to authentically show up for themselves too.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Hahaha, absolutely not. Since starting my personal brand online, I’ve also become a wife and now a mother of three. As I navigate through wifehood and motherhood, it has forced me to be introspective and deal with my personal issues that keep me from showing up consistently. While I am passionate about helping other women, I realize that I am no good to anyone if I am not confident in who God has created me to be. My family is my first ministry and I cannot be my best for them if I can’t show up for me first.
It has been quite the journey unpacking my trauma and untangling the lies I’ve subscribed to about myself from life experiences and others’ opinions. If you don’t deal with the things below the surface, you can always count on being burnt out because you’re working against the grain. You’ll always be exhausted from the internal tug of war of the imposter version of yourself and the person you were created to be. Though it is challenging, the beauty is in the transformation of the person you used to be as you blossom into newness that continues to grow. You become a garden that continues to bloom new flowers.
Aside from the mental, spiritual and emotional challenges, I’ve also had to learn to push through natural barriers. Though I am a tech geek, I don’t have all the latest gear to create with. My husband and I have been building our life from ground zero. When we became parents, we were two broke college students trying to claw our way through school with little to no money. God really gets ALL the glory and honor for sustaining us and being our Provider. If I told you some of the financial obstacles we’ve overcome, it is irrefutable that it was not by our own hands that we are where we are now. It has not been easy and we are certainly nowhere near where we would like to be, but I am grateful for the financial obstacles because it has taught me to figure out how to create with a little. I have become an expert at making something out of seemingly “nothing.” It is also what keeps me humble.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a multi-passionate creative with a heart for serving others through my gifts. As a Christian woman, my work is rooted in honoring God while uplifting those I connect with. I specialize in capturing genuine moments through videography, content creation, and culinary arts as a foodie and home chef. But beyond that, I’m passionate about helping women authentically embrace who they are in Christ and boldly use the gifts He’s given them. Through my creative projects and community-building efforts, I’m most proud of creating spaces where women feel seen, loved, and encouraged to walk in their purpose. What sets me apart is how I weave faith, creativity, and authenticity into everything I do, ensuring that my work not only tells a compelling story but also reflects the beauty of God’s love and truth.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I don’t believe in luck. My faith in Jesus is the only reason I am able to thrive in life and navigate business. Without God, I am nothing. I believe that all things are possible through Christ (Phillipians 4:13). Sure I can achieve great things on my own, but whatever I achieve from my own natural intellect is always going to be settling for less. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). I am committed to doing whatever it takes to make more room for Him, not just so I don’t settle for less, but so that I can be a witness to others who may have lost hope or do not believe there is better for them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themariahdouglas/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMariahDouglas
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@themariahdouglas
