Temple of Geek's video: Portrait of a Fangirl - Episode Four Tiffany Cagle

Portrait of a Fangirl is a web series created by Monica Duarte and Emily Schuck for Temple of Geek. At the core of the project is the importance of telling the stories of women who have found inspiration, growth, and power through fandom. In this episode, we talk to Tiffany Michelle Cagle, a previous head baker at Calvary Christian conference center. She explains how fans can build each other up and enhance their own expressions. Tiffany tells us about her fandoms and how she expresses them, debunks the practices of gatekeeping, and tells us how fandom has changed her life for the better. This project began as a photography project with the goal of capturing the rich and diverse manifestations of fangirling. The idea was to take portraits of geeky women as a way to celebrate their fandoms. We soon came to realize that, even though a picture—as the cliché goes—is indeed worth a thousand words, these women have stories to tell that require a more robust mode of storytelling. Our photos hope to break the stereotype and their stories meant to praise their vast and unique expression—from sports, music, movies, books, history, and countless other fandoms. Tiffany was the first person we began to interview for this project and she was a huge part of the original inspiration for this project. Her stories and her perspective needed to be told in more than just photos. But nonetheless, the photos, to us are extremely important in capturing who she is. In Tiffany’s portraits, we can see how creatively her vintage style and fandom heart align through her clothes and tattoos. She’s drawn to creative and bold expressions of her fandoms. Her buttons on her jacket are a nod to her father that she has owned as her own. She incorporates fandom into all aspects of her life, baking unique original creations such as Gryffindor butter shortbread, butterbeer fudge, and mind-if-I-Slytherin whoopie pies, among others. Tiffany has reminded all of us at Portrait that fandom is a shared experience that has the potential to connect us with one another in a way that nothing else can. Her passions for fandom have introduced her to some of the most important people in her life. It has influenced where and with who she wants to spend her life. It is safe to say that her introduction to the fandom community has given her a new view of what life should look like and a compassionate and empathic look at people around her. Thanks to the power of community and social media, she had found her place in all of this. Video by Monica Duarte Edited by Emily Schuck Produced by Monica Duarte, Emily Schuck, and Danniel Slade Photography by Monica Duarte Music: “Girls Say” by Coyote Hearing “Run Until Your Wings grow” by Late Night Feeler “Please” by Wayne Jones “A Quiet Thought” by Wayne Jones For more go to: https://templeofgeek.com/ Follow Portrait of a Fangirl social media: https://www.instagram.com/portraitofafangirl/ Follow Temple of Geek on social Media: https://www.facebook.com/TempleOfGeek/ https://twitter.com/templeofgeek https://www.instagram.com/templeofgeek/ Like and Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/templeofgeek