Meet Lauren Topor | Photographer & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Topor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve always known that I was bound for a creative career. But something happened in my early 20s: I got distracted. College, rent, jobs, family, social life; you name it. In 2020, like so many others, I did a sort of life audit and came to the conclusion that I desperately needed a more creative, more fulfilling career. And that was the start of Good Karma Photo.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Art has always been a big part of my life and it’s always something I’ve come back to. But, I never went to art school. When I’m creating, I’m not following any rules or guidelines. Art should be human, real, primal even. Art shouldn’t be critiqued by metrics or formulas. I like to think my art and photography reflect that.

When I started my professional life, art got lost somewhere between the jobs I was chasing and everyday life stuff. Before launching Good Karma Photo, I was working as a professional photographer in Phoenix but I wasn’t making art for myself. Even though I was planning photoshoots, shooting really cool people and interesting subjects, and editing photos, I was still missing something.

Good Karma Photo officially launched in 2023 when I applied to my first art show. I brought out some of my favorite photo prints and had a really small display, but it all worked out. I made connections in the arts community, I sold some prints, and at the end of that weekend I was feeling so inspired, like why didn’t I start sooner? It has been such a trip to experience the evolution of Good Karma Photo since that first art show. For anyone who’s maybe a little hesitant about starting a business or trying something new, I will always say go for it.

Making a creative life work is hard. What fuels me to keep going is the connections that I’ve made with the creative community, the affirmations people share with me, and the opportunities that keep presenting themselves; it’s like an action begets action sort of thing.

What’s next? The Phoenix art market season pretty much wraps during the summer, hello heat! But I say keep the momentum going! I’m collaborating with a local coffee shop for a few mini art markets this season where I’ll have my prints and artwork on display IRL. I am also launching Good Karma Creative, the video side of Good Karma Photo.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Most of my work is desert-centric. I use desert-found items as mediums, tools, and subjects in my art. So, the first place I would take a visiting friend is to Boyce Thompson Arboretum. It’s the largest and oldest botanical garden in Arizona. Yes, it’s a drive from the heart of the city, but the road trip is so worth it if you’re into plants, cacti, and the desert.

Next, we’d go to Second Sundays on Mill. It’s a huge art market that closes down Mill Avenue on the second Sunday of every month when the market is in season. I have a soft spot in my heart for Tempe, I went to ASU, and I love the vibe of this event.

The ASU Art Museum, which is always free, is just up the street. The building has photo-worthy architecture and multiple floors of galleries and exhibits.

My favorite places to eat in the area are The Chuckbox, Shady Park, Gadzooks, Perfect Pear Bistro, and Cornish Pasty.

For shopping, we’d go to Little Cholla at Culdesac. Little Cholla is a Thursday night art market that highlights more than a dozen local vendors and creators. There’s also retail shops like Brite Candle Co. and Maricopa Botanicals and restaurants like Cocina Chiwas and a coffee shop called Aruma.

Rise Uptown Hotel, The Graduate Tempe, and Moxy are my top picks for places to stay.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I always come back to The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Before launching Good Karma Photo, I was feeling a lot of resistance, self-doubt, and because of that, I would procrastinate just so I didn’t have to feel those uncomfortable feelings. Not only did this book help me put a name to those feelings, it prepared me to expect fear, but to also work, or create, through it.

Website: https://www.goodkarmaphoto.online/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodkarma.photo/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdA6Xcj4qbWCG_YjrmzSupw

Image Credits
Portrait image credit: Jennifer Lind Schutsky