How Do You Find Your Creative Style? It Will Find You

Facebook questions fascinate me. This one page had an emerging artist ask: How do I decide on my art style? A lot of people who just create art for fun don’t worry about that. The one’s who start to worry about developing signature style are ones who are looking ahead at a career in art. I wonder if they aren’t jumping the gun a bit. You see, I believe if you do things the smart way (which may or may not the right way) you create art until you have a cohesive body of work that you really enjoy doing. Then you decide if you want to ruin your fun by turning it into work and then a business,

If you create art, a lot of art; and do it all of the time, it becomes like the way you walk and breathe. Style is something that emerges with time and familiarity with your own though process and creative drive. Another word for style is “Brand” and with enough time your work will become recognizable because of the way you apply your medium to your chosen surfaces. Your hands will always work the same way and barring catastrophic injury, that might never change. I remember sitting my commitment at a co-op gallery (you can skip ahead if you have heard this story) and above my head hung one of my paintings. It was a waterfall, shocking I know: and pretty large for me. A woman walked in, looked up, saw it and cried; “That’s a Kurtz! I would know his work anywhere!” Those of you who know me, I am not a man. I sign my work with a T because that is my name and with my last name. I looked at this excited person and asked if she like the work and was assured that she did. I thanked her for the compliment and when she responded with embarrassment, I told her how pleased she had made me. She had just proven to me that I had finally created a “Brand” or a recognizable style.

Now, I never painted to find a market. Growing up the way I did, I learned that chasing the market just burned you out. Paint your joy, and you will paint even if you have to chase a paycheck to feed yourself. Don’t make being an artist about selling and you will always be a better artist. If you are worried about your style and how it reflects the influence of people your took workshops from or studied; give it time. You will eventually take what you have learned and work those lessons into your work. It will all end up blending into a style that will be all your own.

Ultimately, the way to develop a style is to keep creating. Paint, draw, sculpt, carve, assemble; whatever you do; just do it often and don’t stop because that is how you create your voice/style. Think about it as enjoying the act of making and doing art, don’t think of it as work. Ultimately; the investment of time is worth every minute of your creativity.