The Perks of Authenticity.

Let me set the record straight: I don’t create work for the purpose of selling it. A lot of the photos I take, I figure no one else will be interested in. That’s not the point of making art, or at least it shouldn’t be the main motivator. I try my best to create just for the joy of it. If someone likes an image enough to buy it, that’s a bonus.

But over the years, I have developed this idea of what I think people want. In Rhode Island, everywhere I go I see photographs of beaches and lighthouses, sunsets and sailboats. That’s what people seem to like, what they want to hang on the walls in their homes. Someone once told me that people are searching for an experience when they buy art. So it made sense–a beautiful photo of a beach at sunset with a seagull flying by is a much better experience than what I typically like to photograph. 

I’ve honestly struggled a lot with this in recent years. When I first started taking photography “seriously,” I did photograph those coastal scenes a lot. Lots of vivid color, tourist trap images. But I’ve since found my voice, and a lot of what I like to do now is more doom and gloom: dead trees, dark clouds, black and white everything. Hence the struggle… who would want to buy my dreary photos when there are some nice sailboat pictures they can get instead?

What I think people want. Taken in 2021.

How do you find a balance between what you want to create, and what you think will sell?

Well, that was 2024’s biggest lesson for me. I took part in quite a few sales and gallery shows this year. I noticed what I was selling, and looked back on past experiences. Several years ago, when I was photographing the touristy beaches and lighthouses a lot, they didn’t really sell. But this year, much to my surprise, was the best one yet. This year I decided I was only going to put work out there that I felt good about (photographing something for the express purpose of trying to sell it makes me feel icky). Even though people often tell me I should be shooting more color images, I sold more black and white photos than I ever sold of my color work. At that realization, my ideas about what I think sells were shaken.

Last year I probably would have told you that if you want to make any kind of money as an artist, you should create some of the work that sells, and in your spare time, you can work on the art that really speaks to you. 

What I want to create. Taken in 2024.

Now I say: focus on creating the work you love. Other people share your aesthetic preferences—it’s okay to have a niche. Don’t lose sight of the joy of creation, and if you do want to sell your art, get it out into the world as much as possible. The right people will find it. Your audience will view the work and know that this is a genuine, authentic piece of your soul. It will be filled with feeling, depth, and meaning. Work you create just to sell it can be shallow. If you really put your heart into what you do, it shows in the final result. 

My plan for 2025 is to keep heading in this direction I’ve found for myself. To remain true to myself, and to create the work that I want to see in the world. Surely, I am not alone.