Meet Mabel Morris Dugbartey of Fontana

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mabel Morris Dugbartey.

Hi Mabel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been fascinated by people—their stories, the experiences that shape them, and the resilience they discover along the way. Growing up in a Ghanaian household and later navigating life as a first-generation college graduate taught me the importance of faith, perseverance, community, and embracing every season of life with purpose. Those values continue to shape who I am and the work I do today.
For a long time, I thought my passions existed in separate worlds. I loved psychology and eventually pursued social work because I wanted to help people heal and live fuller lives. At the same time, I found joy in writing, poetry, storytelling, creating, traveling, wellness, and bringing people together through meaningful conversations and shared experiences. Over time, I realized these weren’t separate passions at all—they were simply different expressions of the same calling.
That realization didn’t lead me to create a brand—it led me to embrace who I had been becoming all along. Mabel, Your Muse is a reflection of who I am and the lens through which I experience life. It’s where my passion for storytelling, wellness, faith, creativity, and community intersects with my calling to serve as a social worker, educator, community leader, and creative. It’s where every part of who I am finds its fullest expression—not as separate roles to juggle, but as one purpose I strive to live out with authenticity, intention, and wholeness.
What began as a creative outlet has grown into something much greater. Through storytelling, education, and intentional experiences, I’m building The Muse Collective—a community for people committed to intentional living and lifelong becoming. Through The Muse Experience, we bring that community together to move, learn, connect, create, and grow—one shared experience at a time.
Whether I’m writing poetry, documenting my wellness journey, speaking, creating digital content, or curating community experiences, my hope is that people leave feeling seen, inspired, and empowered to live with greater intention.
Alongside building Mabel, Your Muse, I’ve continued pursuing my purpose through social work. As I complete my Master of Social Work, I’ve had the privilege of working with children, families, individuals navigating grief, and people healing from trauma and addiction. Those experiences have continually reminded me that healing isn’t linear, every person’s story matters, and transformation often happens in the ordinary moments we’re willing to lean into.
Today, my mission is to bridge creativity, wellness, faith, education, and community in a way that feels both practical and deeply human. I believe growth isn’t about becoming someone else—it’s about uncovering who you were created to be. Whether through content, conversations, movement, poetry, or shared experiences, I want to create spaces where people feel encouraged to embrace the lifelong journey of becoming.
At the heart of everything I do is one simple belief: life is a shared experience. We were never meant to navigate it alone. My hope is that through Mabel, Your Muse, The Muse Collective, and The Muse Experience, people are reminded that every season carries meaning, every story has value, and every step forward—no matter how small—is worth celebrating.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all. Like most people, my journey has included its share of unexpected turns, disappointments, and seasons of uncertainty where I questioned what was next.

One of the biggest challenges has been learning how to embrace every part of who I am without feeling like I had to choose between them. For a while, I felt like I had to fit into one box. Was I a social worker? A creative? A writer? A community builder? Over time, I realized those weren’t competing identities—they were simply different expressions of the same calling.

I’ve been building Mabel, Your Muse while pursuing my Master of Social Work, completing internships, serving my community, navigating personal loss, prioritizing my health and well-being, and simply learning how to navigate adulthood. There were moments when it felt like I was pouring into everyone else while trying to make sure I wasn’t neglecting myself.

I’ve also experienced seasons of comparison, wondering if I was moving too slowly. It’s easy to look around—especially in the age of social media—and feel like everyone else has everything figured out. I’ve had to remind myself that growth isn’t a race and that success doesn’t have to happen on someone else’s timeline.
Losing my grandmother was another season that profoundly shaped me. It reminded me how precious time is and reinforced the importance of being fully present with the people we love. That experience deepened my empathy—not only in my personal life but also in the way I show up as a future social worker, community leader, and creative.

Caring for my physical and mental well-being has been another one of my greatest teachers. Choosing to prioritize my health has required consistency, patience, and grace. It’s taught me that transformation rarely happens overnight. Instead, it’s built through small, intentional choices made day after day.

Looking back, I wouldn’t describe these challenges as obstacles that held me back. Instead, they’ve become some of my greatest teachers. They’ve deepened my faith, strengthened my resilience, and shaped the compassion I strive to bring into every space I enter. More than anything, they’ve reinforced the belief at the heart of Mabel, Your Muse: every season carries meaning, and we truly do grow through what we go through.

Today, I don’t strive for perfection—I strive to live with intention. I’m still learning, still growing, and still becoming. I think there’s something beautiful about allowing people to witness that journey in real time, because none of us have it all figured out. We’re all becoming.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve come to realize that I wear many hats, and I’ve learned to embrace each one. I’m a social worker, storyteller, speaker, community builder, educator, creative, student, mentor, mentee, sister, daughter, and, in many ways, an alchemist—someone who enjoys transforming life’s experiences, challenges, and lessons into opportunities for growth, healing, and connection.

Professionally, I’m completing my Master of Social Work and have had the privilege of working with children, families, individuals navigating grief, and people healing from trauma and addiction. Those experiences have taught me that every person has a story worth honoring and that healing often begins when people feel truly seen, heard, and understood.

Outside of social work, I stepped into Mabel, Your Muse, where I explore intentional living through storytelling, poetry, speaking, digital media, wellness, and community experiences. Within my brand, I’m also building The Muse Collective and The Muse Experience, creating spaces where people can connect, learn, create, and grow together.

What I’m most proud of isn’t any one accomplishment—it’s building a life where my passions no longer compete with one another. Instead of separating my work, creativity, faith, and love for community into different boxes, I’ve learned to let each one strengthen the others. That shift has brought a sense of purpose and wholeness to everything I do.

I think what sets me apart is my willingness to live at the intersection of many different roles while remaining grounded in the same values. One day I’m facilitating a therapy group, another day I’m writing poetry, speaking at an event, organizing a community hike, mentoring someone, or learning from a mentor myself. Each role informs the next, allowing me to connect with people in meaningful ways across different spaces and seasons of life.

At the end of the day, I hope people don’t just remember what I created—they remember how they felt. If someone leaves one of my events, reads something I’ve written, hears me speak, or simply has a conversation with me and walks away feeling a little more hopeful, a little more seen, or a little more inspired to embrace their own journey of becoming, then I know I’m living out my purpose.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was naturally curious and observant. I’ve always been fascinated by people—their personalities, their stories, and what motivates them. Even as a child, I was the one asking questions, paying attention to the people around me, and trying to understand why people think and behave the way they do. Looking back, it’s no surprise that I eventually found my way to psychology and social work.

I was also very creative. I loved writing, journaling, expressing myself, and finding different ways to communicate ideas and emotions. Creativity became one of the ways I processed life, and it continues to shape both my personal life and my work today. I also loved to dance. I participated in praise dance at church and explored a little hip-hop, which gave me another outlet to express myself.

Despite those creative interests, I was actually very shy and insecure growing up. I often stayed within my comfort zone and worried about what other people thought. It wasn’t until high school—and even more so in college—that I began intentionally stepping outside of that comfort zone. I started saying yes to new opportunities, taking on leadership roles, meeting new people, and allowing myself to be seen. Looking back, that season gave me the confidence to pursue opportunities I might have once talked myself out of.

Growing up in a Ghanaian household also had a profound impact on who I am. My family instilled values like faith, perseverance, respect, service, and the importance of community. As the eldest daughter, I naturally took on a lot of responsibility at a young age. While that came with its own challenges, it also taught me how to lead, care for others, and show up with consistency.

I’ve always loved bringing people together. Whether it was spending time with family and friends, serving at church, or creating spaces where people felt welcomed and included, I found joy in helping people connect. Looking back now, I can see that the seeds of what I’m building with Mabel, Your Muse were planted long before I ever had a name for it.

As I’ve grown, so have my interests. Today, you’ll probably find me planning my next trip, writing poetry, performing at an open mic night, leading a community hike, speaking at an event, reading, working out, or having meaningful conversations over coffee. I’m also known to go on random side quests—whether that’s showing up to a casting call, auditioning for an opportunity, modeling for a brand like Rare Beauty, or saying yes to an experience simply because it challenges me to grow. I genuinely love learning, trying new things, and collecting experiences that stretch me beyond my comfort zone.
If you asked someone who knew me growing up to describe me, they’d probably say I was thoughtful, compassionate, creative, curious, and driven. I’d like to think those qualities are still true today. The difference is that I’ve become more comfortable embracing every part of who I am instead of feeling like I have to fit into just one box.

Pricing:

• Instagram Feed Post or Reel $200
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• YouTube Mention/Feature $125
• vent Attendance + Coverage Starting at $250

Contact Info:

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• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mabelyourmuse
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mabel-morris-dugbartey
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mabelyourmuse?si=2U9DByofWsYRWIOF