Finding your
style and passion
- by Always Art Staff
One of the ultimate goals for artists is to find their artistic voice — what makes them unique and differentiates them from others. This does not have to be a definitive process. While there are artists who stick to the same style, others tend to feel the urge to express different styles throughout their journey. Doing what you are passionate about is going to help you feel fulfilled as a creative. Here are some steps you can take to help you find your style.
Make a lot of art
Nothing can help you develop your artistic style more than the process of making art. This might sound cliché, but what you produce will guide you to see what you want to express. These forms of expression may be new ideas, stories of what has impacted you throughout your life, or beauty you see in the world that resonates with you. You will make a range of diverse artwork until you start to find what feels right and discover your voice as a creative. As you make more work, you will see similarities between pieces and identify elements shared across the work. These pieces will all contribute to you building your identity as an artist.
Seek inspiration
Gather images of your favorite art pieces and identify what you love about them. Do they have qualities in common? Were you fascinated most by the subject matter, textures, colors, techniques used, or art movement and style? The intention is not to copy paste from these artists, but to help you find your voice and what makes you tick. You can also research how these artists found their style—learning about their journey might inspire you to find yours.
Learn the essential art fundamentals
If you are a self-taught artist, you might want to start by first learning the basics. Explore historical art movements, techniques, mediums, color theories, perspective techniques, etc. Knowing the history can help you find what you like and what you want your work to offer.
Analyze your own work
After you create your first body of work, it is beneficial to sit and analyze what you have made. Try to find elements you like as well as those you want to improve upon. Are there parts you feel represent your artist voice? Are there qualities you want to further develop? Do you have more creative ideas to make additional variations of your work?
Give it time
It is not always a straightforward process so do not rush it. Take your time to find what you really want to convey to the world through your art. Do you have a message you want to share? Do you want to make people feel a certain way when they see your artwork? Do you have stories to tell through your art?
There are endless questions you can ask yourself to help you reach your style and hone your voice. Eventually, your art will be recognizable through signature elements that you develop and use repeatedly. This will make up your artist brand. Don’t worry about being constrained to a single style—there is an industry-wide debate about changing your style throughout your career. This process is ok and to be expected. Just know that you will need to implement change gradually if you have built up a loyal audience or following. Surprising your audience with a completely different style than might not be immediately welcomed, so introduce it to them slowly.
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