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

Tori, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I don’t necessarily know if I could have started any earlier (I’ve been doing art-related things since I can remember), but as far as it goes professionally, I wish I’d found my niche sooner. It was overwhelming to try and connect my photography classes from college along with new techniques and styles I discovered afterwards, along with my own ideas. In my experience, I felt kind of trapped by a more rigid way of thinking about art and photography during college and right after that. Some distance from that environment brought back the urge to experiment with my art, and I don’t think that’s ever disappeared again.

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

I had practiced film photography almost my whole life, but after college, I wasn’t really sure which direction to go. Professionally, most people I knew were turning to digital and focusing on portraits or weddings. But formal shooting and dealing with strangers’ demands isn’t my style at all. I had a job at a photography supply company after graduation, and there I discovered the Holga, a 70s-style plastic camera, which reinvigorated my interest in film, and made me want to see how I could use this new format (to me) creatively. I loved the slight loss of control that came with a camera that slides together from 2 pieces, the lighting abnormalities, the square format. I eventually incorporated Polaroid images into my work as well, but primarily use the Holga.

I tried to make a go of selling my images of my favorite subjects—mainly prominent outdoor or natural landmarks— on prints and cards for years, but it was a really oversaturated market on Etsy and in-person craft markets.

I’m not sure what finally clicked, but I had always wanted my work to be more functional while keeping the nod to my travel and nature subjects. I researched how to transfer photo images onto other surfaces, and tested out that first image transfer onto a wood panel, and I never stopped after that. My main focus is creating photo wood slice ornaments, but I also do them on wood slice magnets, coasters, and panels.

My favorite things to hear from customers are what drew them to a particular piece, whether it’s memories from their own trips, a desire to visit the same place, or just the way a scene stands out to them . I love turning a piece of the larger world into a portable form that can inspire or foster curiosity.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Going to gallery shows and vendor markets to support financially always helps. Support small businesses in your local area and online. And social media is a great resource now. I don’t post as much as I should, but when people comment or share your work on social platforms, it’s always a boost to your self esteem, reminds a creative that they love what they do, and can motivate them in creating more. And donate or attend art workshops near you, like a wheel throwing class or glass blowing, just to name a couple. The more people attending supporting these efforts and funding them, the longer they’ll be around to enjoy.

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

The whole process, from concept to finished product. I typically save up several rolls of film to send in for development all at once, and it’s a thrill to see those first images and start selecting which images I think will do well on wood. The whole process of preparing the materials and revealing a successfully transferred image is so satisfying.

Sometimes there are little surprises, like a particular photo that you took a chance on producing, or one that you didn’t think would do well. One of my tree images was from a trip where everything went wrong, and I wasn’t really that enthusiastic about making anything with it. But it was so popular on ornaments that first year, I had to make more, and its remained an ornament I make sure to keep in stock. Kind of a long answer just to say, those positive surprises are always fun :)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/holgacontessa/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_holga_contessa/

Image Credits
Tori Puente Eric Lebrun