028 - For Art’s Sake, Just Make Art!

So today, we will talk about something that sits very near and dear to my heart. Something that I feel isn’t mentioned nearly often enough to anybody who is taking photos regardless of their skill level or where they are at on their photography journey. It’s the fact that taking photographs doesn’t inherently mean you need to start a business. Far too often, I’ll talk to people just at the start of their photographic journey, and they will start talking sheepishly about how they just like taking photos, they don’t think they’d ever want to shoot professionally or anything, they just enjoy documenting what is around them. Then quickly add, but oh it would be such a cool job. They almost seem like, because they spent money on a camera or because they like to take photos, they should want to make money off of it. That they should want to do it full-time.

That’s not at all the case. If you want to start a photography business, that’s great, but you also aren’t required to. You can just enjoy taking pictures. You are allowed to just enjoy creating art.

I have to remind myself of this some days. When I’m out just taking pictures for fun. That not everything is about work or creating new pieces or anything like that. That I can simply just go out and have fun making art. So today on the podcast, we are going to talk about making art, with no monetary compensation in mind, and why this is ok.

I’m Robert Massey, your host of the Travel and Adventure Photography School podcast. I’m a professional photographer based out of Calgary, Alberta and I am so stoked that you are joining me here today for episode 28 of the podcast. Thank you so much for taking the time to grow your artistic knowledge and invest in yourself.

So, art.

Art sounds like this scary, insurmountable thing that is only for the truly gifted. But, that’s not at all the case. Art can be made by everyone. Art should be made by everyone. Creative endeavours let our brains flourish and grow. Art opens up new perspectives and forces us to think beyond our confines. And honestly, art shouldn’t be about the money. Art should be about your expression, your viewpoint, and making a connection with those around you.

I remember back when I first had a camera put in my hands and started taking photos. It was for my first job in journalism, a summer position in a tiny little town. I’d never really taken photos before, and I took to it slowly. I loved what you could document with a camera and it looked cool to have images I’d taken show up in print.

Then I got my first ‘real’ camera, a Canon 30D. And started shooting a bit more in my spare time. It was just for fun because I liked documenting the world around me. Showing off what was happening and what I was seeing. And as I started investing more in lenses and other gear, people started telling me I must be thinking about running a business because I’d invested so much money into camera equipment. 

But, I wasn’t really all that interested in running a photography business. I was a journalist. I liked to report on stories and break news. Running a business was the furthest thing from my mind. I took photos in my spare time as a hobby. And I intended for it to stay as such.

I really felt like telling some of the people who said this that they must be thinking about opening up an outdoor store because they spent so much on camping equipment. It was the same thing to me. I used photography as an escape, a way out of my day and to allow me to see the world around me. Just as they used camping.

But because it was an artistic endeavour, they saw it as useless unless I was planning on monetizing it. That I must monetize it otherwise it is a waste of time and money.

This brings me to the first point here. You don’t need to monetize your art!

Art can just be about self-expression or documentation. And it doesn’t matter if you are good, great or mediocre. As long as you are expressing yourself and enjoying the process of creating art.

This idea that you must monetize is simply wrong. It’s the way our world has devalued simple relaxation. That it’s almost a sin to simply do something because you love it. Today it’s all about the hustle and never-ending work, and never taking time to simply breathe.

I catch myself in this trap all the time. I’m out shooting and find myself thinking, oh I can’t sell that shot, so it’s not worth taking. I’m thinking about sellability, not creativity. My first thought should never be Oh, I can’t sell that. It should be what does this image make me feel? How do I want to take this image? How can I make it better? Not, how can I make money off of it?

If you want to sell your work, that is awesome! It can be very rewarding. But it also turns your escape, your hobby into a job that has a lot more strings and less creativity attached to it. You become beholden to other people, to clients and your creativity can suffer because of it.

You can learn to take photos and enjoy taking photos without selling them or starting a dedicated Instagram page. It’s worth doing simply because you want to do it. You don’t ever have to make a dime doing anything you have a passion for to make it worthwhile.

I find one of the things that stops people from believing that they don’t have to monetize things is permission. Because the world has told us all that we need side hustles and we need to work constantly to get ahead. Which is an utter lie, but that’s for another day. The world has given us permission every day to work harder (not necessarily smarter) and to monetize everything. So let me do this in reverse.

You are allowed to just stay a hobbyist. To just enjoy the process and just enjoy making art with no worries about websites, Instagram algorithms, contracts, or anything else. You can just enjoy making art.

So what then is the ‘purpose’ to creating art if not to make money? I hate that term in this case, purpose. Why does everything have to have a purpose? Sometimes, it’s amazing to just do things with no end goal in mind, no real ‘purpose’. Just do it because you think it sounds like fun.

But if you want a reason to pursue art just for art’s sake (which you don’t need). Then let me give you a very very cool one. It is amazing to sit in a room with artwork covering the walls (or floor or ceiling or wherever you want to put it). Give yourself this gift with your images. Don’t just occasionally look at them on your phone or computer but PRINT THEM! Hang them. Create new artwork from the pictures you have crafted. One of my favourite art pieces to craft is the broken-up images that go across a whole wall. It’s called panel art and you break up one image into 3, 4, 5 or more panels and hang them together. It’s beautiful and amazing to look at. 

So gift yourself the ability to walk into a room and see your pictures on the wall. Print them, spend time looking at them, and you will appreciate them so much more. And likely want to print more and more (print is just an amazing medium).

This episode isn’t meant to tell you to never open a business. To not push hard to have your voice heard, be your own, boss or anything like that. I’m not suggesting you don’t aim high and reach for what you deserve. I’m saying it’s ok for a hobby to stay a hobby. It is worth every iota of time and energy that you dedicate to it simply because it makes you happy, healthy, relaxed and energized.

Everyone can make art. Now just go and do it. Who cares if it may or may not sell. Just make it.

So, for art’s sake, just make art.