We recently connected with Teresa Vick and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Teresa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

The kindest thing anyone has ever done for me was say, “So you’re an artist!” I looked at her with a confused expression on my face. What? I’m not an artist, I only dabble. “No, you’re an artist, just like me.” That moment changed me forever. And then it happened again a year or two later with another artist, a local photographer friend.

“So you’re a Black and White Photographer!” Stunned again I sat there for a minute absorbing what she had said after I told her I might be done with photography because I only wanted to do black and white work. I thought to myself, “Can I actually just be a photographer who only produces black and white work?” Then, “Why not? Why can’t I choose to do the kind work I love to produce?” It became so obvious after it as spoken outlaid

It’s difficult to explain just how impactful those words from those two people shaped who I am today in my art and photography. Back when those women said those things to me, I was a newbie in photography. I didn’t feel like a “real photographer” or artist because I wasn’t taking paid work. Yet at the same time the online community of photographers suggested that newbies were competition and a threat.

There are a few reasons why I bring this up. I want you to know that your words of kindness matter. Always.

Secondly, what these women said to me was, “You matter. Your art matters. The world needs you.”

We need more photographers like this in the world. Ironically I eventually honed my color editing skills and now produce mostly color Fine Art Portrait work. Their words of kindness helped me keep going. I would not be where I am now in my art without their generosity of kind words.

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

After approximately five years employed full time in Graphic Design, I decided to step away from the 9-5 grind and take freelancing projects instead. I began my journey with photography in 2010. Within a few years I had developed a regular self-portrait practice which enabled me to hone in on the creative and artistic side of photography while dabbling in select photography projects for family and friends. By 2015 I decided to start a photography business side-hustle. Over the following years I continued taking freelance Graphic Design projects, created Online Education Courses for photographers, taught in-person classes at a well-known Photography Conference, have won photography competitions, my work published in magazines, and have been featured in articles and blogs.

In 2024 my passion is Fine Art Portraiture for women with a splash of somatic movement. My goal is for women to know their worth and embrace it apart from the beauty demand. This isn’t about saying or believing “we’re all beautiful!” It’s much deeper than that. Our worth as women is not defined by our appearance despite how we are constantly and consistently berated by the opposite in movies, TV, social media, and even loved ones.

It’s one thing to believe that you are worthy of being photographed, as you are, right now. It’s an entirely different thing to experience it in your bones. To practice it. To live it. To breathe it. To allow yourself to see the parts of you that you haven’t fully accepted. To allow yourself to see the parts of you from a perspective you’ve never seen before and experience the joy that comes from it.

It is a process and a journey. One that happens one step at a time. It’s one I want to be a bug on the wall to witness.

Women believe that if they could just… (fill in the blank with any number of things the arbitrary standards of beauty tell us to fix) they would be good and ready to put themselves in front of the camera. The reality is that by saying, “I’ll do it after…”, we slowly erase ourselves when “after” never comes.

We are worthy of being photographed. As we are. Right now. Simply because we exist. This is what I learned with self-portrait work. It’s what I want for women in my Embracing Self Fine Art Portrait sessions where I incorporate movement and the environment for women to experience a part of what I’ve experienced with my Self-Portrait work. It’s been like therapy for me.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

The biggest hurdle I’ve had to jump on my creative journey has been learning how to manage my ADHD tendencies in how I do business. Learning business strategy, marketing, how to delegate tasks, and learning CRM software, have all been major wins for freeing up my time and making the business side managable.

The philosophy of my work centers around the fact that all people are worthy of being photographed. All people. And my passion is for women to see themselves as worthy and reject the beauty demand.

Books for Business/Entrepreneurial:
-This is Marketing – Seth Godin
-The Practice: Shipping Creative Work – Seth Godin
-Buy Back Your Time – Dan Martell

Books/Resources that shaped my art and the women I serve:
-More Than a Body – Lindsay Kite PhD and Lexy Kite, PhD
-Find Your Unicorn Space – Eve Rodsky
-The Gap by Ira Glass (The Gap by Ira Glass)
-Ira Glass – The Perpetual Struggle to Find Your Creative Voice (https://youtu.be/lAMbguAg1zM?si=cUZwpuRcHoaDXIlH)

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is the joy it brings me to create something beautiful out of nothing. Being able to share it with others in ways that have an impact on their lives is truly priceless.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.teresavick.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresa_vick
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeresaVickArtist

Image Credits

© Teresa Vick, Artist/Photographer