Title: The Art of Perspective

By Thea Tanton

Perspective—it can shift in an instant.

Speed painting is a fascinating art form. Whoever first imagined it must have had a brain worth studying. Seriously—who looks at a blank canvas and thinks, “I’m going to create something meaningful in under 90 seconds, upside down, and in front of an audience”? And yet… here I am, the person who attempts exactly that at every pageant I compete in.

As wild as it sounds, speed painting is more than just a test of skill—it's a demonstration of trust in the process. You’re racing the clock, unsure if the chaotic smears of paint will ever come together. And then, in one dramatic moment, you flip the canvas—and everything falls into place. What looked like a mess suddenly reveals a masterpiece. The collective gasp from the audience always tells me the same thing: the shift in perspective changes everything.

Art has a funny way of mirroring life. Just like a speed painting, life often feels confusing, unformed—like we’re trying to make sense of a chaotic mess with no clear image in sight. We search for clarity, desperate to connect the dots, and feel alone when we can't.

When I was 18, I worked as a lifeguard at a waterpark. On June 25, 2023, I performed CPR on a six-year-old boy who, despite every effort, tragically passed away. The days and nights that followed were heavy with grief and guilt. I kept searching for answers, for a reason, for some kind of picture that could explain the pain. People told me, “Everything happens for a reason.” But that phrase rang hollow. What reason could there be for tragic loss? How could anything good come from something so heartbreaking?

That experience taught me that grief is not something you overcome—it’s something you carry. And without a shift in perspective, it can weigh you down entirely. I couldn’t change the past. I couldn’t undo what happened. But I could flip the canvas.

So I did.

I began visiting classrooms, teaching children about water safety. I partnered with organizations and schools to educate communities. I used social media to amplify the message. I stopped seeing myself as a failure in that moment, and started seeing myself as someone with a purpose—someone who could help prevent another tragedy. I chose to honor that little boy’s memory by ensuring his story could save others. Slowly, the picture started to come together. What once looked like a series of disconnected brushstrokes began to form something bigger. Something meaningful.

Perspective matters. It’s not about erasing the past—like paint on a canvas, some marks are permanent. But it’s about choosing how you see it, and what you do with it. When life feels like an abstract mess of pain and confusion, maybe it’s not that the picture is broken—maybe you just haven’t turned the canvas around yet.

So the next time you're faced with something that seems senseless or impossible, consider this: all hope is not lost. Sometimes, all you need is a shift in perspective.

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Thea Tanton is the current Miss Missouri River (SD). You can follow her on her Instagram. You can see her speed painting talent on the Miss SD stage here. 

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.

The Stage Where I Couldn’t Breathe

By Caitlyn McTier

“Congratulations to our preliminary winners! We can’t wait to see everyone back here tomorrow when we crown Miss New York 2025.” That was the last phrase I remember before everything went black–or blurry–or honestly, I’m not even sure what. All I know is that my heart was beating out of my chest, and something wasn’t right.

Time started melting together. The next thing I remember, I was collapsing into my mother’s arms during visitation after the final night of preliminary competition. Within minutes, I was ushered to a back room where a kind hostess brought me a hot tea, a cookie, and a comforting hug.

“Oh honey,” she said. “These are all the things I like when I have a panic attack.”

A panic attack.

A panic attack?

Was that what was happening? I had never felt anything like it before.

About 30 minutes passed with just my mom–who I might’ve given her own panic attack just from how emotional I was–until I eventually rejoined the group. I took photos, spoke to little girls, smiled for the cameras. Then somehow, I woke up the next morning and competed in the finals for Miss New York. And big surprise…I lost. But my best friend won. And in that moment, I felt overwhelming joy for her. I also felt the most physically depleted I’d ever been, after a long week battling not just the mental but also a sinus infection.

One of the hardest parts of pageantry is the unspoken expectation to always be “on.” The judges don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. They’re judging what they see in 90 seconds of talent or a 10-minute interview. And that’s their job. But sometimes, no matter how much you prepare, life happens. And I believe in divine timing–sometimes the door doesn’t open because it’s not meant for you.

After Miss New York week, I made appointments with both my physician and my therapist, trying to make sense of what had happened. Turns out, a big contributor was that I had recently gone off a medication that negatively affected my health. On top of that, I was dealing with personal challenges I’d been pushing off with a “deal with it after Miss New York” mindset. I hadn’t listened to my body in the weeks leading up to competition. I was so focused on the goal that I completely neglected my health. That moment made me question if I even wanted to return to pageants at all.

I’m what some might call a Miss America enthusiast. I’ve competed since I was 13 in the teen program, and let’s just say I’m now 26. I’ve never missed watching a Miss America pageant. My mom was a dressing room mom for Miss Alabama throughout my childhood, and I grew up wanting to be just like the pretty girls on stage. I’ve even been around long enough to have competed during the swimsuit era.

So it was hard–really hard–to imagine my pageant journey ending on such a negative note, with no closure. I knew I wanted to come back, but I had to get over my fear of stepping back on the stage where I last couldn’t breathe.

I waited. And waited. Until the very last day to apply for my local title: Miss Manhattan.

But I did it. I applied. And yes, I was still scared.

Spoiler alert: I won the pageant.

To some, it may have looked like just another crown.

To me, it was proof that I had faced a fear head-on–publicly–and refused to let it win.

It’s been almost a year since my first major panic attack. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that mental health doesn’t get fixed overnight.

In the first seven months that followed, I had more minor episodes. Some days, getting out of bed felt impossible. Being the “girl boss” everyone expects me to be? Even harder. I lost friendships–people who didn’t understand what high-functioning anxiety or depression looks like, or who didn’t know how to support someone who isn’t always smiling. That was hard to accept. But I’m also grateful for the people who stayed–my family, my friends–who lifted me up when I was literally on the ground. Who helped me laugh on the days I felt too sad to speak.

I often think about Cheslie Kryst and the pain she must have felt leading up to her death in 2022. Pageants can make us feel like we’re being authentic—but the truth is, many of us are hiding a lot.

I’m writing this because whether I win Miss New York or not, I want to show up authentically. Even though a part of me is scared–scared that a judge might read this and decide I’m unfit for the job–I’m telling my story anyway. Because being a titleholder isn’t just about the next crown. It’s about using your platform to help even one person feel less alone.

“Far too many of us allow ourselves to be measured by a standard that some sternly refuse to challenge and others simply acquiesce to because fitting in and going with the flow is easier than rowing against the current.” – Cheslie Kryst

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Caitlyn McTier is the current Miss Manhattan (NY). You can follow her on her Instagram.

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.

Pageantry Beyond Borders: Leading Global Impact in a Digital Era

By Shaunie Cousins | Founder of Rise & Reign™

There was a time when global pageant leadership looked like a woman in heels, shaking hands across continents and boarding flights as often as she blinked. That model served its moment. It inspired generations.

It also excluded many women, especially those with real-life responsibilities like raising children, managing careers, or caring for others. Not every crown fits inside a carry-on. Not every leader has the flexibility to jet-set for months on end.

Thankfully, pageantry has grown up. So have we.

Today’s titleholders reflect a broader, richer spectrum of womanhood. We are wives, mothers, CEOs, creatives, and change-makers. We are women who lead at 9 a.m. staff meetings and bedtime stories. We are showing the world that leadership does not require constant travel, full availability, or a blank calendar. It requires purpose, creativity, and a bit of audacity.

Why This Shift Matters

This conversation is not just about logistics. It is about access, inclusion, and sustainability. It is about redefining what influence looks like in a digital era and who gets to wield it.

Leadership Should Reflect Real Life

Historically, leadership roles in pageantry favored those with maximum availability and minimal outside obligations. That expectation quietly filtered out many of the women most equipped to lead: those with lived experience, deep resilience, and strong roots in their communities.

Women are not stepping away from their lives to lead, they are bringing their lives into their leadership. That distinction is not just symbolic. It is transformative.

Sustainability Makes Space for Longevity

True leadership is not about doing everything all at once. It is about doing the right things with intention and care. A full calendar might impress people for a season. A sustainable platform builds impact that lasts.

Some of my most impactful moments came from behind a screen. I have facilitated donation drives, shared resilience stories, coached women across the country, and served with globally-reaching organizations all while still making it to dinner with my family. 

These were acts of purpose, folded into the life I already lead.

Exhaustion is not a prerequisite for influence. Boundaries and clarity are far more powerful.

The Digital World is Where People Gather

The audience is already online. They are tuning in during school pickups, streaming content while folding laundry, and saving posts that speak to their reality. If your message is not accessible where people actually spend time, it will not go far, no matter how powerful it is.

Social media gives every titleholder the chance to share her mission, connect with new communities, and lead without limitations.

How to Build Global Presence Without Going Global (Physically)

Here is the good news: you do not need to go everywhere to reach everyone. You just need to show up on purpose.

Show up with clarity, not perfection. Perfection is exhausting. Presence is magnetic.

Your community does not need flawless posts. They need real ones. They need to understand your why. They need to see you living it. I post when I have something to say that matters, or when I need a break from email and want to feel cute for a minute.

Meaningful visibility comes from showing up consistently and speaking with purpose. That is what builds trust.

Collaborate beyond your ZIP code

Some of the most exciting initiatives I’ve been part of started as conversations. 

The Sash Sister Collaborative began with the simple idea of uniting women across systems through shared service. It grew because the need was real and the connection was sincere.

Through my 9–5, I have had the privilege of supporting humanitarian efforts with Medical Teams International. These opportunities remind me that service is not confined to the size of your platform. It begins the moment you say yes to showing up.

Virtual panels, social challenges, nonprofit collaborations, global awareness days, these are all avenues for impact. They require intention and follow-through.

Be consistent enough to be credible

Anyone can show up once. Leadership is built in the showing up again.

Your message gains momentum when people see you carry it forward over time. They start to believe in it because they see that you do. You do not need a viral moment. You need a visible mission.

Consistency does not mean you never pause. It means you return with purpose. That is what sustains influence.

My Journey to This Moment

I am a wife. I am a mother of eight. I am a strategist, a survivor, a speaker, and a woman who has learned how to rise again and again.

My story did not begin with a polished path or a straight-line success. I spent years navigating survival, rebuilding after personal hardship, and holding my family together through seasons that nearly unraveled us. I do not come from ease. I come from endurance. That background shapes how I lead, how I serve, and how I show up.

When I re-entered pageantry, I didn’t have endless time or unlimited resources. I had a purpose. I had a voice. I had a deep need to turn hard chapters into meaningful impact.

Over the last year, I launched a statewide Hope and Healing drive, reignited my creative life, began building a digital community for service-minded titleholders, and connected with women I never would have met if I had waited for the 'perfect' opportunity.

None of this happened by accident. It happened through alignment, intention, and action.

Your impact is not limited by your crown’s label. You can be a local, state, or regional titleholder and still lead with global purpose. What matters most is how you choose to use your voice—and how willing you are to show up with heart and consistency.

This Is the Future of Pageantry

We are no longer waiting to be discovered. We are creating visibility through our platforms. We are not waiting for a microphone. We are building our own stages. We are not asking for permission. We are leading anyway.

Today’s titleholder does not have to leave home to have global impact. She just has to decide her story is worth sharing and start telling it.

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Shaunie Cousins is a writer, pageant queen, healthcare policy expert, and resilience strategist known for her ability to lead with both purpose and heart. With nearly two decades of experience in human services and legislative policy, she blends advocacy, storytelling, and community-building into every platform she touches.

As the founder of Rise & Reign™, Shaunie is passionate about redefining what modern leadership looks like, especially for women balancing real life with big dreams. Her blog, Crownwork, explores the intersections of pageantry, purpose, and personal growth, while her deeply personal writing appears under the pseudonym Phoenix Unchained in Monster Behind the Mask: Surviving Mr. Hyde, a survivor’s blog rooted in truth and healing.

Shaunie’s most important roles remain wife, mother of eight, and proud woman of resilience; living proof that with alignment and intention, we can rise, reign, and write our own legacy.

www.shauniecousins.com/blog

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