Qiniso, The Sails, Durban, 2019. Courtesy of the Artist and Stevenson, Cape Town/Johannesburg and Yancey Richardson, New York © Zanele Muholi
Hi fam,
Part of my work as a mentor is helping creatives (and visual artists) develop work that becomes their signature, work so irresistible that clients seek you out for it. Work that stands through time, moves beyond trends and fashion cycles. Work that transcends even you and lives on. Legacy work, basically.
I talk about this constantly in my cohorts and 1:1s because it's what makes you stand out in a sea of AI and the "everyone's a creative photographer" frenzy.
The better AI gets, the more profound the personal project becomes. The more critical it is to put your personal sauce into what you do. Editors, curators, gallery owners want to work with YOU, the human, messy, multi-hyphened you behind the work.
Over the next four days, I'm breaking down the FOUR elements, the secret sauce behind a killing project.
Today: The Personal. Let's go.
The first question curators ask themselves isn't "Is this good?"
It's "Why them?"
Who is this storyteller? Why do they care so much about this topic? How close are they to it?
Why YOU for this project? What makes you the definitive voice on this subject?
This is the Personal element—and it's where most photographers fumble.
They pitch projects they think sound impressive. Important. Fundable.
But there's no YOU in it.
There's also this huge legacy of being a "fly on the wall"—which supposedly means you have to subtract yourself from the story to make it effective. This couldn't be further from the truth.
I'm not saying the project needs to be about you. But you have to dive deeper, dig into the reasons why you care so much. You might not be identified with the community you're photographing, but why do you care? Your view of it, your view of the world—that matters.
Without lived experience, obsession, or authority that comes from proximity to the subject nobody else has? You've got nothing.
The Personal isn't about making work "about yourself" in some cringe way. This aspet of a successful story is truly about your understanding of what you bring to the story that's irreplaceable.
Here's what Personal authority looks like:
You grew up in the community you're photographing
You've spent years studying this subject independently (even if you're not part of that subject or community—that's valid too!)
You have direct experience with the issue you're exploring
Your identity gives you access others don't have
You've been quietly obsessed with this for longer than is reasonable
When Sebastião Salgado photographs labor, it lands differently because he's the son of a farmer. When Zanele Muholi photographs Black queer identity in South Africa, the authority is undeniable.
When Camila Falquez photographs trans communities in Latin America, her work resonates because she's spent years embedded in this community—elevating them as Greek goddesses while society ostracizes them (especially in Latin America). She shows them as art, as models, reclaiming their allure and dignity. That depth of relationship, that vision born from sustained proximity and care, that's irreplaceable.
The Personal element turns a good idea into YOUR project. It's what makes reviewers trust you with funding, assignments, collabs. It's what makes audiences lean in. <3
So ask yourself:
What story have I been circling for years? What do I know intimately that others only observe from outside? What lived experience do I carry that shapes how I see this subject?
Your personal connection isn't a weakness to hide. It's your competitive advantage.
Tomorrow: The Universal—why strangers across the world will care about your deeply personal work.
Until then, Lola
P.S. I'm hosting a free workshop on developing personal projects that get you hired: Get Hired for Work You Love. We'll map out how to find the intersection of what only you can say and what the world needs to hear. February 26 at 6pm CET. Let's go.