Every picture tells a story. This phrase has become cliche. But I believe it is useful to think of Art in this way, not just photos or paintings, but all of Art. The creator, who could be a musical composer, a choreographer, a writer, or a painter, has the seed of a story. This could be a song lyric, a vision, a conversation, but it is the outline of the story or the first chapter. The artist fleshes out and expands until the story is told to the satisfaction of the artist. The finished product of that inspiration is released into the world.
Then the story is read by others. And the story is interpreted by each reader, who brings years of personal history to compare this new story and put into personal perspective. Each of these stories now is different, maybe by a little or maybe totally, from the original story idea of the artist.
In my personal experience, people will look at what I have painted and they may comment about what they “see,” and often it is surprising to me, because I never saw it that way or “intended” it that way. I want to return to this Story idea, because it is a basic human quality. It can be used to understand how Art works in our minds, in my opinion.