Strands of Genius: Wesley Verhoeve + Retail at the Halfway Point of 2023
featuring: an interview with our guest editor and a research report
Welcome to the Bonus edition of Strands of Genius! On Fridays, we’ll be publishing interviews from our guest editors, and sharing a research report. Thanks for being along for the ride. Oh and by the way, you look great today :)
:: STEAL THIS THINKING | RESEARCH REPORT ::
Despite its fair share of success stories, retail in 2022 was greatly impacted by inflation and soaring gas prices. And although 2023 started off strong relative to the Omicron-impacted early months of 2022, retail visits fell in April and May as consumers continued to struggle with high prices and tighter budgets. But the last month of H1 2023 offered reason for optimism as year-over-year (YoY) foot traffic turned positive. Could we be starting to see the fruits of the efforts many brands and industries have made to drive traffic and position themselves for long-term growth?
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
WESLEY VERHOEVE, PHOTOGRAPHER AND CURATOR
>> Wesley Verhoeve guest curated Strands on October 26th 2023. Read it here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what keeps you busy. How did you end up doing what you’re doing today?
I did not plan on becoming a photographer. In 2013 I was knee-deep into a music career that started at an early age in New York City. I worked at record labels, wrote songs, produced albums, managed artists, promoted concerts, and more.
There were many special moments during this time. One of the most exciting was watching Steve Jobs introduce the first iPad while the opening notes of a song I executive produced and released on my own record label started playing.
Around 2013 I started to get a bit burned out on the relentless pace and instability of working in the music industry. That’s when I started to lean into photography as a new form of creative expression and a way to connect to people outside of music.
As the music business burn out got worse I decided to make some changes in my life. I hadn’t taken the time to travel at all during my music days because all my work was in New York City. I decided that I wanted to see more of the United States, especially at a time when so many creative friends were leaving New York City for cheaper places like Nashville, Detroit, and New Orleans.
What excites you most about what you do?
The thing that excites me most is inspiring others with my work. Frequently that means hearing from readers of Process, my newsletter about photography and discovering your voice. It's incredibly satisfying that readers feel empowered and encouraged to make new work they are proud of because of the newsletter. Similarly, photography is how I connect and relate to the world and to other people. I love meeting people on the street and having a conversation with them while I photograph them. These connections are rich and intimate, sometimes leading to a casting for a project or even a continued friendship. My biggest reward is hearing from folks that they feel truly seen for who they are when I send them their portrait.
What beliefs define your approach to work? How would you define your leadership style?
Since I work for myself the concept of leadership is only relevant in the way that I put out a lot of the lessons I learn so that others can hopefully learn from it too. I write and publish Process, a weekly newsletter about photography and finding your unique voice. My goal is to encourage and empower others to tell stories they care about through photography.
What has been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
My photo book NOTICE is the project I am most proud of and which has moved me most.
After two years of continuous travel between the great urban centers of New York City, Tokyo, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Barcelona, and other cities, the world ground to a halt when the pandemic started.
By virtue of this most random timing, I found myself stuck in a place I had never been before. A small but beautiful suburban neighborhood of Vancouver was to be my home for the first 5 months of the pandemic.
Everything that was my “normal” suddenly changed to its opposite. Instead of traveling the globe, I was contained in one neighborhood. Instead of meeting and photographing random people all day long, I’d walk for hours without seeing more than a handful of humans. Instead of my busy client work schedule, my inbox was quiet and days blended together.
So, I started walking.
Every day, a few hours, camera in hand. It became my meditative practice and helped me ground myself in a world where everything suddenly seemed uncertain.
I walked around my small neighborhood for 123 consecutive days. I practiced slowing down and paying attention so I could see better. Suddenly my world, which had initially felt so small, was revealed to be a massive universe with tiny stories everywhere.
We are big believers in diversity -- Not only because we believe in equality, but because we also think it’s better for business. How do you frame these kinds of conversations, both internally and with clients? Is there an emphasis on action, or are the conversations really more about communication?
Diversity and representation is very important in my work and something I spend a lot of energy and time on. It's inherent to my process, so I focus more on doing rather than on talking.
Switching gears a bit, how do you find time to balance personal interests with your career? Do you believe work/life balance is possible? Anything you’ve implemented that you recommend that others try?
Until about two years ago there was nothing outside of photography. It was both my hobby and my job. Two years ago I made a concerted effort to develop a hobby, which led to me taking improv classes. It did get a bit out of hand, typical for me, and these days I'm honored to be part of the house team at Boom Chicago and I perform at least once a week at several theaters. I also have increased the amount of exercise I do, to balance and manage my mental and physical health. And then there is of course spending time with the people I love, which is in a wonderful place now that's much improved from the past years as well.
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in the real world more so than through the media I consume. I spend too much time on Instagram but rarely feel inspired by it. I do enjoy the conversations I have there. I love photo books and films, but honest most of my inspiration comes from things I see of hear in the world.
What’s the best piece of advice/knowledge you’ve stolen, and who/where’d you steal it from?
I wouldn’t say stolen, but rather generously gifted by a very special woman called Coreen Simpson who told me to always self-assign work. I summarized here: https://wesley.substack.com/p/selfassign
You can keep in touch with Wesley on Substack.
If we can ever be of help to you, even outside of a formal engagement, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
rockON,
faris & rosie & ashley | your friends over at geniussteals.co
@faris is always tweeting
@rosieyakob hangs out on instagram
@ashley also writes for deaf, tattooed & employed
Wesley rules!