So it might surprise you to hear this but I wanted to start Art Journaling for about a year before I actually picked anything up and made anything inside of a journal. I was scared, scared of so many things but mostly of not being good enough. It's so funny all of the silly things we think inside our heads isn't? Well let's get over whatever is stoping you from starting together ok?
What is a style?
Ok so let’s look at what the official definition of the word style is;
Style - noun
A particular procedure by which something is done; a manner or way.
A distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed.
What I find so interesting is that some of the synonyms that come up when you look at style are things like technique, method, approach, system, form and practice.
When I think of the word “style” in terms of art work I think of something that makes someone’s work stand out from the feed as their own. So when you’re scrolling through the feed on Instagram or facebook you know it belongs to them.
But where is my style?
It’s so easy to to feel like we just don’t have a style because we see all these other people out there who so clearly do. You know the people I’m talking about, the ones we see posting all the time and you know straight away it’s theirs.
Looking for your “style” and lamenting about it is one of the main things that I hear about online, especially with people who are just starting out. It is easy to look at people who have been creating for longer than us and who have what we feel is a style already.
And don’t worry, I won’t be telling you “don’t compare your start to someone else’s middle” because that’s just not helping anyone really is it?
Look at your work as a the whole body, not individual pieces
So if we look at some of the synonyms again associated with Style we can start to find some areas to look at in our own work.
Is there a particular technique that you reach for again and again? Gelli Printing, watercolours, acrylic paint or stamping?
Do you always start your page in the same way? What approach do you take when you open up a blank page? If you start to look at how you create from this point of view perhaps you can see a little bit of a tiny baby style beginning to emerge.
Having a style doesn’t come quickly
I know I said I wasn’t going to use that quote but you have to give your style some time to develop and you can only do that from making, making and making some more. Trying on different styles you like and taking things from it that work is so important.
Let’s dig a little deeper!
What if there was something that could help you work though identifying your style and give you some great ideas of ways to grow it? Wouldn’t that be great? Well my friend, I got your back! I’ve created the “Map Your Style Workbook” and you can get it for free from me right now!
The workbook is broken into two sections. Firstly we look at your style and how to identify it with a series of excercises. The next section takes the elements of our style we already have and works on ways to grow it more, to push you (gently!) outside of your comfort zone!
So what are you waiting for! Join me and help Map Your Style right now!
