for the creative
Sunday, April 13th, 2025
My trip across the country and out west was marked by many things, one being a deep feeling of disconnect. At times this was frustrating- my sister and two nieces were now four hours ahead of me. But most of the time, it was really great.
I still used Instagram every day and did well to upload photos in real time. That often brings me joy and the sharing of personal creativity feels energizing rather than draining. But interestingly enough, I was still receiving all of the updates from city life in Toronto. Every day, a beautiful new sponsored ad from a new photographer taking on new clients, offering new mini sessions. Every day, a new workshop. Every day, a stunning carousel of curated photos. Long gone are the days of uploading one *killer* image and walking away. Now we must upload upwards of 20 slides, each with a unique and interesting layout. Are we spoiled by all of these visuals? Are we bored of them?
And here I was, observing all of this at a distance. At first, I felt a little left out. I felt a little worried. I felt the familiar tug of desire (pressure?) to participate, to post on behalf of my business! My photography! Remember me!
And then, thankfully, that all faded. And I enjoyed the disconnect. I enjoyed the feeling of the grind churning on without my presence. I was, instead, in the land of moss and I would enjoy continuing on with the creativity of that.
I talked to Taylor about this in an outdoor bathtub in Tofino. He claimed it was very punk rock of me to complain about the over-saturated business of art. I nodded along, holding a glass of wine covered in bubble bath, very much agreeing that yes, I am punk rock. But I truly could see both sides. The creation of art is meant for everybody- it is not exclusionary. It does not belong to a finite and privileged group of people. There are new photographers emerging every day and they deserve a place to share, to be seen. And yet, the business has evolved. Photos have changed from memories in a photo album to something we consume every single day, for many many hours of the day.That has immense impacts on the industry, how could it not? We are in a photography BOOM. And we are still figuring out those impacts! The landscape is an expanse of ever-shifting sands.
And my place in the landscape was shifting too. I could feel it only when I truly stepped away, the distance bringing with it a new perspective. And perhaps this is the natural order of things. We all work, get experience and then step aside in our unique ways for others to join and learn their place. It is highly likely that this feeling exists in every industry, but I am a little sad that this boom is happening in photography, specifically. I am worried where this over-exposure (…pun intended…) will lead. As people begin to delete social media and turn away from photography, will they cease to see the value in it? Or will the value increase, the art form reverting to a higher timelessness, consumed with more intention than a passive scroll? Or, is it all inevitably here to stay?
With all of these big questions, with all of the big talent, with all of the unique visions and voices, it is more crucial than ever to connect to your own. And to connect to your own expression, so that you are also connecting to what you share. And loving it! Are you your own biggest fan?
And perhaps more important than connecting to your art, is to connect to your why. What is the reason you create? What is the reason you share? What is the reason you feel called to this medium or that medium? Why photography, beyond the current industry-wide boom? Keep reconnecting with your why over and over again, especially when it means disconnecting from the business/busy-ness in order to get there. Celebrate others as they share and share and share some more. See it as abundance, but also be disciplined enough to know when to stop consuming. And share exactly as you want- sponsored or organic, single or carousel, photo or video, viral or 10 likes. There is certainly a recipe for social media success, but that might not be a recipe for creative fulfillment. Learn to spot the difference. “Admire those who succeed and learn from their success”. This fortune hangs on my fridge. I opened it this week. Success is subjective, so stay tapped into whatever it means to you. Admire accordingly. And after everything, all of the sharing is courageous, so applaud yourself for that. This process has become so normalized, but it is deeply vulnerable to put your special thing out in the world and set it free. Trust that it will connect to its audience in time and while it does, you are there cheering it on. That is one fan right there. If it finds just one other, magic. If it finds one million others, magic. That is the heart and soul of the creation of art and it is certainly not consumption. It is to get closer to magic. It is to get closer to each other.