You came to this post looking for guidance. You've seen the cohesive, one-style art brands out there and you've seen their success. "Niche down" everyone has told you. And you try but it just doesn't fit. You need to do more. Be more. Try more. Play more. After all, art, for you, isn't just about business and skill. It's about expression and exploration. It's creativity and passion mashed into one.
How do you define that?
How can you "pin that down" to one niche style or topic?
Maybe you can't.
If you came here looking for some advice on how to abandon that explorative part of yourself you've come to the wrong place. I'm going to lay out 3 tips for building an authentic art brand but they aren't going to be the kind of tips you're used to seeing.
If you're ready to think outside the box - keep reading.
Build an authentic art brand by allowing yourself to experiment
Don't be afraid to try new things. YES it is true that artists with a defined niche tend to do better on social media. Psychologically, people who want to buy something or follow someone like to know what to expect. They like an aesthetic so they keep coming back again and again if there's a predictability to the experience.
BUT that's not always how art works. Sometimes you need to explore and create VERY different things in order to find what ignites your passionate fire of creation. And, depending on your influence, inspiration, and mood - that fire might be ignited in very different ways at different times.
There is nothing wrong with this expression and experimentation. It is what will help you find a voice that you are happy to share. Otherwise you just might end up feeling boxed into a creative corner where you have to do the same thing again and again whether you like it or not.
And no artist wants that.
Be honest about your artistic journey and invite others along for the ride
Since people like predictability, you can offer the predictably unpredictable experience of going on a journey with you.
Take them behind the scenes into your art process and your creative process. Share why you're trying something new. Inspire THEM to do something new in their lives. Show them that there's nothing wrong with branching out.
This "insiders" approach actually helps build a feeling of community more so than a brand. Community trumps branding when it comes to repeat sales, loyal customers, and people who just generally FEED your artistic process. I dare say that these connections are far more valuable over time.
Treat your art brand as something with seasons, not a forever style
As you venture through your journey, allow it to have no destination.
I recently changed my "brand" colours on my website and my social media from bright pinks and purples and cyans to muted teal-greys, burgundies, and sage greens. I'm feeling like I'm in a calmer season in my own life and my own soul and I want that to show in my work as well as the world I'm building around myself.
Will this be the way forever? Probably not. I'm known to try on different styles at different times because each offers something unique to my experience of life. And that's OK. These seasons will show themselves in my artwork. That's also OK.
~ Just be yourself.
