⚠️ Note: This episode was recorded during a brief return to the podcast under its new name, Dangerously Good Stories, after a long hiatus. It’s one of only two episodes I released before everything fell apart: trauma, burnout, and a full stop.

I’ve kept it in the public archive because Caryn’s unfiltered voice note captures the exact kind of wake-up story work can offer. Honest. Restorative. Rooted in aliveness.

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This isn’t an interview. It’s a real Voxer message from Caryn Dodson — listener, photographer, and former guest — recorded less than 24 hours after my last episode aired.

She didn’t know I’d ask to share it.
She wasn’t trying to sound polished or persuasive.
She was just being real.

And that’s exactly why it matters.

Caryn’s words echo what so many of us feel behind the scenes: the burnout, the marketing fatigue, the aching to make something that means something. Her message is a love letter to story, tradition, soul work, and the courage to show up with your whole self.

If you’ve lost your way, if you’re tired of performative content, or if you need permission to start again, this episode is for you.

Topics touched on:

• The emotional power of storytelling and real documentation
• Why marketing often pushes us away from what matters
• Keeping family traditions alive through creative boundaries
• Photography burnout, pricing struggles, and losing creative joy
• What it means to chase feeling, not just a deliverable
• Using old photos as creative prompts and story sparks
• A call to slow down and reconnect through your own archives
• How to use one photo to rediscover overlooked stories

Access the archived episode resources here:
→ dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-podcast-archive

⚠️ 2025 Note: This 2021 episode was recorded during a brief return to the podcast under the new name, Dangerously Good Stories, after a long break from podcasting.

But, this wasn’t just a “welcome back” episode.
It was the prelude to collapse — unknowingly recorded from the edge.
That contrast between hopeful rebuilding and the unseen unraveling gives me chills today.

I’ve kept it in the public archive because it captures the heart of why I changed direction, what story work means to me, and the permission I hope it offers others — not to live louder, but to live more awake.

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This episode lays the groundwork for everything Dangerously Good Stories stands for.

I introduce the shift from Intentional Documentary®, explain what makes a story dangerously good, and invite you into the kind of story work that reconnects you with what matters most — both in your life and your creative path.

Topics Included:

• Why I retired the name Intentional Documentary®
• What makes a story “dangerously good”
• An introduction to the DGS Story Work Practice
• The shift from photo education to personal meaning-making
• Submitting listener stories and voice notes to the show
• A reflection prompt to help you begin again with intention

Access the archived episode resources here:
→ dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-podcast-archive

⚠️ This is an episode that reflects an earlier season of my work.

I’ve kept it in the archive because it reflects a tender moment in time — one shaped by motherhood, meaning-making, and honoring what matters through everyday documentation.

⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes mention of postpartum depression and stillbirth. Please listen with care, or skip this one, if you're in a tender season.

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What began as a conversation about shifting from portrait sessions to documentary photography quickly unfolded into something deeper: how grief, postpartum depression, and radical life change led Caryn Dodson to create her family’s memory-keeping platform, Firekeepers Memories.

We explore how photography became a lifeline through dark seasons, why she chose to homeschool and sell most of her belongings, and what she hopes clients feel decades after their sessions.

Topics Included:

• Navigating client education and transitioning to full documentary work
• The quiet strategy Caryn used to introduce documentary sessions in her community
• How postpartum depression transformed her perspective on what matters
• Honoring family through documentation after stillbirth and loss
• The family story behind Firekeepers Memories and how it works
• Why she shoots every session like it might be the last
• Homeschooling, entrepreneurship, and life on the road
• A powerful phone-free challenge to help you notice more in your everyday life

Connect with Caryn + access the archived episode resources here:
→ dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-podcast-archive