The Whirlwind of June

Blog Post

Jun 22

Happy Summer Solstice!

I hope that June has been treating you kindly. June marked an end to my full-time post-operation recovery (I had chest surgery) and a transition back to full-time work at my day job, which for me is really bittersweet. I mean, it’s not like I *ENJOYED* recovering from surgery, but it really was nice to just be for a little while. It gave me a lot of time to cook up some ideas for short-term photography projects over the summer while the sun is still long in the sky.

For those of you who don’t know, my secondary job is at a non-profit in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside as a program manager. This job is the reason why my availability is largely restricted to evenings & weekends.

…I recognize all too well that the day job is the “breadwinner” out of the two of my employment streams, but frankly, photography will always be my career and my passion, no matter how much or how little income I ever make on it. I have secret dreams of being discovered posthumously like Vivian Maier was. :)

Granted, I’d love to make it the only, full-time employment for the remainder of my working days, but for the time being, my day job will do. :) It pays the studio rent and my regular home rent, and means that any subscriptions that come through go straight to producing art for you to enjoy!

(Seriously, though, help me make this dream happen. Could you imagine how much more art I would be making for y’all if I wasn’t working 40 hours a week PLUS 12-15 hours of commuting to/from the day job each week?! I’ve got details on how you can help down at the end of this post.)

Also, on a related note, two things —

Now that I can pick up my camera again, new photos will be popping up across the gallery! Stay tuned for some fun stuff :)
Some images are going to be temporarily removed from the website, as the photos in my current gallery are too big in size and causing the Carrie Hill Creative website to run quite slowly. This affects a number of things from loading speed to SEO, to how Google indexes & ranks this website, so this change will be starting imminently.
This will be a process, but please don’t worry! Everything you know and love will be coming back once the resizing is done.

What’s Currently Happening: I am currently in an online exhibition!

As a direct result of the Other Ways of Knowing exhibition that was featured in downtown Vancouver over the month of May, I discovered a fabulous collective called Ikouii, who at the time was in the process of finalizing an online exhibition called Bodies which celebrates bodies of all kinds. They found my work through Outsiders and Others’ Instagram stories and asked me to submit the same image that was accepted into the window exhibition on Howe Street. I submitted 4 or 5, I believe, and two of them, including the above, was accepted! You can take a look at the online exhibition* from now until July 9th. All of the art is for sale, too! Check it out - it’s a real treat. I’ve re-visited the exhibition to see the other (MAJORLY) talented artists at least a dozen times since the exhibition went live on May 28th.

When you go and see it, please do send me a line and let me know what you thought of it all! There are so many incredible artists in that exhibition. Seriously, it’s worth seeing.

*Note: Must be 18 or older to access according to the Ikouii website.

Forthcoming: Eastside Culture Crawl

And for even more good news :)

This November, I will be participating in the 26th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl! I received approval recently, and I am VERY excited about another exhibition this year.

This year’s Culture Crawl runs from November 17th-20th, which land on Thursday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday. Be prepared to see a plethora of different images! I plan on having themed spaces across my studio, including an area for my landscapes, portraits, and of course, my ongoing work in mental illness awareness. I even have a bit of space out in the hallway where my work is going to hang, which is a really exciting prospect because it means THAT MUCH MORE ART for you to see in person, right here at the Carrie Hill Creative Studio!

As far as whether visiting during these days is going to be walk-in style or by appointment only - I’m actually not sure of that yet. Those details should be ironed out come autumn.

In the meantime, please check out the Culture Crawl website! New artists are being added every day, and it’s bound to be a really amazing four days. I seriously can’t wait for it to arrive! It’s going to come and go in the blink of an eye and I am SO HERE FOR IT.

Forthcoming: I am Negotiating My First Solo Exhibition!

I decided that 2022 is going to be the year I take a LOT of leaps, and as a result I am in the planning stages of a solo exhibition! I can’t say where or when yet, but it’s 100% going to be a thing, taking place either later in 2022 or early in 2023. I have a few meetings and discussions to have before anything is finalized, but when the ink is dry, my subscribers will be the first to know!
(You’ll be notified too — just later. Because, you know, dibs.)

How You Can Help Make My Dream of Photographing Full-Time a Reality

I told you that I would give you some helpful suggestions :)

Subscribe to my mailing list! All that is required is your email address! I don’t send email often—a mere 4x each year—but when I do, you get a full work-up of everything art-related that’s gone on in the previous 3 months!
Consider becoming a patron of Carrie Hill Creative! Monthly subscriptions begin as low as $2/month, and 100% of all proceeds go towards creating more art for you to enjoy. Not to mention that depending on which subscription you decide on, there is some pretty serious swag for you to get delivered straight to your door!
Purchase artwork from the Carrie Hill Creative Shop! A few copies of my book remain, as well as a plethora of prints and postcards are available for you to enjoy.
Get your black and white film developed at the Carrie Hill Creative Studio! I have my own darkroom and use a traditional process to develop 35mm and 120 (medium format) film using a very reliable Kodak developer (HC-110). Contact me to find out more.
Tell your family and friends to support by joining my mailing list! As you know, seasonal letters are sent out 4x/year, with the odd email here and there. Not to mention that signing up for a mailing list results in you automatically receiving a discount code to spend in the shop!
Related to above — please share my blog posts and my work on social media! I’m most active on Instagram and Facebook, where I regularly share my blog posts, and rest assured — all shares are impactful and VERY appreciated!
Like my Facebook page and follow me on Instagram!
If you’re a client of mine, review me on Google and LinkedIn! I would love to hear why you loved your experience with me. Even if you had a positive experience through emailing me or by phone, please tell me! I always want to give the best possible service to anyone who supports me.
Summer is nigh and this is the perfect time to get your family, couples, and headshot photos done! In addition, now is the perfect time to book your elopement, if that’s what you plan on doing! *Note: Spaces are limited.