5 Things I Wish I Knew Sooner About Style
As I was thinking about this post and reflecting on the progress I’ve made in my art journey, I started looking back through my Instagram. I even went all the way back to that very first post. Do you remember yours? Believe it or not, my first post happened four years ago this week! That's right, August 27, 2022 I took my first step in publicly sharing my art. Don’t get me wrong, four years is not that long. I would consider it a “decent” milestone. It's not 40 years, but it wasn’t like it was last week. Regardless, pretty crazy and cool at the same time.
My first Instagram post from August 27, 2022
So now that four years have passed since that first Instagram post, you are probably wondering where I am on this journey? That’s a great question and one I ask myself often. As I look back I can’t help but think I made progress in a lot of areas. Since that first post I’ve established and continue to build my social media presence across Instagram, TikTok and Youtube. I built an Etsy store with over 70 listings, I created a website, an email newsletter, and a community. Umm, I’m referring to you!
When your goals are to create art and even a business centered around your art, that takes a lot of time, and it turns out time is extremely valuable and while I made progress, I have to admit I wasted a lot of time too.
I’m writing this to share some advice that might help you save time to reach your goals quicker. I think four years of experience qualifies me just a little. You see, over the past four years I’ve been filled with indecisiveness and self-doubt which has led to a lot of wasted time and it comes from not landing on a style. So if I had one piece of advice for you, it’s this:
Be yourself, accept who you are, and commit to your style.
Pretty simple, right? Not really and I’ll get into that more below. But first, let’s make sure we are on the same page. Style is a term you'll hear used a lot in the art world. Most of you know what I mean, but to be clear I'm referring to your visual identity as an artist.
Every artist draws a certain way. The medium you use like pencils, paints, digital, etc. factors in. The subject matter you create such as people, animals, flowers, etc. also plays a role. How you express your art matters too. Do you use bold lines or soft strokes, bright colors or muted tones? Do you lean realistic or abstract? It's the combination of these factors that creates your style and your visual identity. It's what makes you stand out from others. It's what makes your art…your art.
I think you would agree that defining style is the easy part. The hardest part of all of this is commitment. Over the past four years, I struggled to commit to a style, and it held me back. I wasted a lot of time questioning the direction of my art and what I wanted to be known for and that has kept me from reaching my goals.
The good thing for you is that I think I’ve identified the reasons. Hopefully by reading this five key points below, you can avoid these traps, commit to your style, and reach your goals quicker:
Moderate social media. I understand the algorithms demand your time but be careful - following other artists online is both a blessing and a curse. Social media gave me endless inspiration, and that was a problem. Every swipe was another voice: I love that style, I wish I could do that. Look at those lines. I should try that too. It never stopped. The answer, which took me years to learn, is that it doesn't matter what anyone else is doing. What matters is what you like to create.
Narrow your scope quickly. Use social media and Pinterest early on to explore styles you're drawn to. Build boards, come back to them, and use them as a reference point — not something to copy directly. Spend real time sketching with those influences in mind and see what naturally comes out. The more you sketch and practice, the more your own patterns will emerge. The quicker you notice what you keep coming back to, the quicker you'll find your style.
Resist the urge to conform. Your style already exists inside of you — you just need to tap into it, wake it up and bring it out to play. You draw because you love to create, and you already like creating certain things, whether you know it or not. Don't chase styles just because they're popular on social media or someone has a large follower count. Your style is who you are and your passion will be the fuel for the midnight oil. It’s a grind so you need the passion to pull you along. Every artist is unique and brings something special to the table. Don't fight it — embrace what you keep coming back to because this will differentiate you from everyone else.
Cast aside the self-doubt. I worried about how my art would be received. If I wanted to grow an art business, would people like it? Was I too niche, or too average? What gave me the right to think I could build this from nothing? Could I stand out in a world where everyone is a colored pencil artist, and it feels like everyone is better at it than me? I told myself I needed more time. I just needed to get a little better and then I'd feel confident enough to commit. The only thing holding you back is you. Your people are out there, waiting for your art. You just need to create it and they will find you. It takes time to grow, promote, build, and be seen. It doesn't happen overnight. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Try new things and put yourself out there. Ask the coffee shop down the street if you can hang your art on their walls. Post the piece you don't think is ready. The walls of doubt are tall and thick, but each small thing you do starts to break them down.
Commitment is not final. Commitment is a pretty big deal, and it scares a lot of people. It's the same fear people have about marriage, or buying a house, or picking a career. Once you say yes to something, you're saying no to everything else you could have had. Committing to a style felt exactly like that. The stakes are smaller but it’s the same fear. What you need to realize is that commitment isn't final. It's actually the beginning of the real journey. Think of it like laying the foundation of a house. You need a foundation before you can build anything. You can still modify some parts of the house later, but the foundation must go in first before you can move forward. Committing to a style is similar. It's the beginning of your creative journey. It serves as the foundation that will allow you to move forward but you can always adjust along the way.
If you really think about it, these are not just lessons for artists, they are lessons for everyone. Maybe it's the father in me, but I think we all need to hear advice from those who have the experience. I spent too much time not accepting who I was as an artist. I wasted too much time because I didn’t commit and I was scared that committing was final. I learned it the hard way. But the sooner you're aware of these roadblocks, the sooner you'll get past them — and the sooner you'll be on the real path of your own journey.
I hope the advice helps.
