How do I keep my work honest when flattery would be easier?

You've made your choice and you hold to it: your images tell the truth, and you keep honesty above the flattering lie the work is always offering. That's a spine most people in your field never grow. The temptation never fully leaves, and that's fine. What matters is that you've decided which master you serve. Truthful work asks more of you and pays slower, but it's the only kind that lets you stand behind everything you've made. You've traded easy approval for something you can respect. Keep the standard concrete. On each piece, ask one question: is this honest. When the answer's yes, you're done, whatever the flattery would have earned. That single question, kept faithfully, is your craft.