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Sunday, March 12, 2023

Finding your own Style

Copying others is easy. Finding your own style? Not so much.


Normally, there are three primary ways in which you can go about your style: By what is or would be welcomed and applauded, by what suits and flatters your features, and by what you personally appreciate. Sometimes, these three overlap. And if that's the case, consider yourself fortunate. But much of the time, we lean toward one or two at most, sacrificing what is left. And this doesn't refer solely to fashion, but to anything you do that can be called artistic or an art.

Nevertheless, they all take some amount of experimentation, of seeing what fits and what doesn't, what can be adopted and what must be discarded, what you are ultimately satisfied with.

But how to get there? For what would be welcomed and applauded, you must tune into the tastes and preferences of others (which are subjective). For what would suit and flatter your features, you must tune into principles of strategy and composition (through objective considerations). For what you would personally appreciate, you must tune into your own tastes and preferences (which, again, is subjective).

Do not be afraid to get it wrong, though. Much trial and error is bound to happen. And the process can be long and arduous before finally settling into a particular style. Some people stumble upon it quicker or have it easier due to having fewer options to weigh. And some don't exactly find it but choose one that's close enough and make it their own. While some remain versatile and switch between one and more styles.

None of these is truly reprehensible. But if you're set on finding exactly what is meant for you and no less, it can be quite the inner and outer journey.  You will be thoroughly learning about others, about capabilities and potential, and about yourself.

Furthermore, experimenting with different styles can in itself be a rewarding process and even take a lifetime if you let it. Maybe you're not as concerned with finding your own style as you are with trying as many as you possibly can. If that's the case, you are an experimental artist. And yet, something of you may persist throughout all of the styles you go through, as your peculiar mark.

As an experimental artist, reaching and maintaining an audience can be trickier but not impossible. If you can leverage the innate need for what is new and different as opposed to what is familiar and take others along with you as you change, you will still please a crowd.

In any case, even if you do have a set style, it may not be 100% fixed and instead morph and evolve to some extent as time goes by. So that it won't stagnate and instead remain fresh. Responding to and incorporating elements of various periods. Or simply gradually improving upon itself.