Teresa Vick is a Graphic Designer and award-winning Photographer, producing creative and underwater portraits with a fine art feel, located in Vancouver, WA, USA. She loves creating, finding beauty in the mundane and seemingly trivial, and being a part of creating beautiful things. When asked describe her muse, it is life, in all of it’s painful chaos and unquenchable beauty, both of which are constantly entwined. “The essence of life falls somewhere between the all too familiar pain of reality and the too often fleeting memories of whimsical beauty, when we were able to find it.” -Teresa Vick

Teresa has a course in the Academy titled, “Tapping into Your Unique Style,” check it out in our course catalogue HERE.

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Here she is, Unraveled…

What inspired your art?

My art is inspired by the essence of life which falls somewhere between the all too familiar pain of reality and the too often fleeting memories of whimsical beauty, when we were able to find it. My art is about finding that beauty and capturing it.

What do you shoot with? Camera body and favorite lens?

I photograph with a Canon 6d. The lens I use 99% of the time is a 35mm canon, f2.

What other ways do you express your creativity?

In addition to photography, I have also been a full time graphic designer since 2005 outside of the home, but in recent years you’ll find me freelancing solely from home. When I’m not photographing, I’m most likely designing for another photographer or for my children’s school PTA.

How do you de-stress at the end of the day?

My end of day unwinding routine starts after my husband gets the kids ready for bed and I put my iphone and apple watch on my nightstand (to ignore them completely until morning). I then go upstairs to snuggle my kiddos to sleep. Once they’re asleep in their beds, I watch tv or a movie with my husband usually accompanied by some sort of chocolate and sometimes an alcoholic beverage of some sort.

What kind of music do you listen to while editing?

My favorite kind of music to listen to while editing can vary depending on the type of work I’m doing (I.e. a fun styled session or a family session I got roped into somehow). When I need motivation my upbeat photo session playlist is the winner which includes, Lady Gaga, Ellie Goulding, Broods, Lorde, Tove Lo, St Lucia, Justin Timberlake, Tame Impala, and the list goes on. When I’m not necessarily in the mood for upbeat music, I’ll play my mellow playlist which includes, Gotye, iMonster, Radiohead, Fink, Hooverphonic, Elbow, Mimicking Birds, Lana Del Ray, The XX, Bon Iver, Daughter, Kye Kye, Novo Amor, and the list goes forever. There’s so much good music out there.

What is your favorite book?

I’m not sure I could specify just one book which is my favorite. So a couple series that stand out to me currently are The Ender series books and Old Man Wars (science fiction stuff). I also just recently finished all 8 of the Anne of Green Gables books. I am a forever fan of Anne. She has my heart in every way. I watched the movies when I was young and have been obsessed since then.

Name one movie that inspires you.

It is truly unfair to ask me to specify just one movie that has inspired me. My most favorite leisure activity is dinner and a movie. I am inspired by movies with amazing cinematography but also that are unexpected and/or make you think differently about things. There are movies which do one or the other, but not many which can do both in the same film. Two movies immediately come to the top of my mind which are visually creative and have an engaging and unexpected narrative; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Memento.

How do you handle self-doubt or creative slumps?

The first way I attempt to deal with self-doubt or creative slumps is by trying to prevent them: scheduling time for creative breaks where you I give myself permission not to produce any work. It’s also helpful to track in what situations or times they have come in the past so that I can anticipate them better. I find it helpful to know that they will come no matter what and that they are temporary and it’s all just part of this weird creative journey. Then I can expect them to happen, ride them out (knowing they will suck in a new way each and every time), and then prepare for the next one. “Oh, it’s you again. Okay, I was expecting you. Maybe not today, but alright, I’ll change my plans, we’ll get through this, then you’ll go and all will be fine again because you’re not real and this is temporary.” And lastly, find a support system. A community of other photographers who will encourage you.

What has been the most difficult part of your creative journey?

By far, the most difficult part of my creative journey has been getting caught up in self-doubt and creative slumps. They really suck and imposter syndrome is real! These doubts and slumps are normal, but they are hard and even intensified 100x when engaging daily on social media. When I’ve looked back at my most difficult moments in this journey since starting photography, it’s been during moments when imposter syndrome was heavy AND I was engaged in social media to an unhealthy degree.

Who is one of your favorite photographers?

I have been influenced by so many amazing photographers it is nearly impossible to name just one. Early on in my journey there were two photographers who made the biggest impact on me and changing the direction of my path each time. Candice Zugich of the Blissful Maven: her work was emotion filled, rich, and nostalgic in a way I had never seen. I fell in love with her work and hired her to take photographs of my family. Since the day I met her she has been nothing but a positive influence in my life. Koren Faust of Kaptured by Koren Photography: she is a seasoned local photographer in my area. Not only did she put up with the newbie photographer that I was, messaging her about all her photography locations, but she embraced me, encouraged me, and was the one who was responsible for getting me through my toughest imposter syndrome moment.