We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Roy Tahtinen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Roy, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Last fall I had a woman approach me at an art festival with tears in her eyes and said, “I just want you to know that what you are doing makes a difference.” That is the best review of my photography I could ever hope for, especially for a project that started while beach combing in San Francisco.

I have always seen things around me that are my own personal perceptions, and not intentionally created that way. It could be a face in a tree, a number in a leaf, an animal in a cloud, a letter from the alphabet in architecture, a heart, or any other shape and symbol that appears out of nature or manufactured objects. If you look at the hashtag pareidolia on Instagram you will see that this in not completely uncommon.

For years I amassed a collection of stones, wood, and found objects in these various shapes, and filled drawers and shelves with my finds. However, I decided I needed to stop this practice when I ran out of places to keep them in my small San Francisco flat.

On Valentine’s Day in 2016 I made an unintentional pivot at Ocean Beach. As I walked up and down the coast I started seeing heart-shaped stones and decided I would share them with my friends by photographing them and posting these valentines on social media. And a new way to collect these shape began. It wasn’t an ah-ha moment, but now I could share my perspective instead of simply hoarding objects. I also began to realize the close tie that San Francisco and the heart shape have together and decided that “if you left your heart in San Francisco, I am going to try to find it.”

My photography came into sharper focus when I began capturing my unique way of looking at things and sharing that out into the world daily. In 2018 I challenged myself to post a photograph of one new heart to Instagram every day. This is when I started the series HeartSFound. And this is where things started to get meaningful.

Each morning I select a recent photograph and pair it with a quote that speaks to the image or goes together in a surprising way to post online. Personally It has been a form of meditation, a method to develop as an artist, and an amazing way to connect with people from all over the world. But after posting every single day for over four years it has begun to mean more than any single photo or quote could. And hearing from others about how meaningful it is to them to have this daily momment has made it all the more meaningful to me and keeps me going.

It is an optimistic view of live. It is a love letter to San Francisco. It is a unique perspective on everyday objects. And a reminder that “love is love” and “love is all around us”.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a full time Creative Director, Art Director, Designer, and Illustrator. Photography comes into these rolls from time to time, but for me, photography is my art form of personal expression.

I grew up with undiagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder, which I think has always been my own personal super power. It was never a big problem to me growing up, and my parents embraced me for who I was so I was able to lean into it and I spent a lot of time exploring creativity and my unique thought process daydreaming and doing things my own way.

As a creative person, I am grateful for the ability to look at the world in a unique way and to think in ways that may be different because it often leads to a unique place.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I believe that everyone is creative in their own way. And I believe that anyone can pursue that creativity at some level. But I am lucky to have found a career that fosters and encourages creativity.

I am well aware that many parts of our lives seems designed to discourage creativity. So the first reward of being an artist or creative is the freedom to be ourselves, and not fight for permission.

The most rewarding part of that creativity for me is showing other people my perspective of the world and having them appreciate the way I see it. This is validating and rewarding because it is so personal.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I don’t have any social media secrets or tricks, and for a while I was surprised to watch my audience grow (it has slowed just as surprisingly.) But I think there are a few things that make sense to me.

I am consistent, selective, and personal.

I am consistent. I only post one type of subject matter to my photography feed, I use other accounts for other subjects. This means that anyone who follows my account knows what to expect. And I also post every single day. It isn’t always easy, but this has made me a better photographer because of the practice and keeps me engaged with those who follow me because the conversation never goes silent.

I am selective. I only post one or two images a day. Some people I follow post in batches, but to me it diminishes the preciousness of a single photo, doesn’t allow the best work to shine, and can seem like spam when a single person fills your feed.

I am personal. I never just post a photo. I add a quote to my photography that speaks to me, informs the photo, and brings a little something extra to each post. I also respond to comments, interact with other accounts, stay engaged, and look for like-minded people to follow and stay engaged with.

None of that is breakthrough, but if slow and steady wins the race, I am heading in the right direction.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heartsfound.art
• Instagram: @heartsfound.art
• Facebook: Heartsfound.art
• Other: I post almost every day on next door as Roy Tahtinen. This is a surprisingly good platform, as most of my photography is super local and my positive posts are a bright spot on a sometimes very dark platform.

Image Credits
All photographs by Roy Tahtinen