Finding My Style

I like the sound of 2022. “Twenty twenty-two.” It’s got a rhythm and energy to it—one that I hope will extend through this coming year.

Twenty twenty-two is coming at a time when I’m able to commit real energy toward creating and developing a solid portfolio. But in order to do that, I have to find my style. And let me tell ya, up ’til now, my style has been one elusive beast.

Over the years, I’ve accumulated a body of creative work that spans a variety of media, projects, and styles. In several of my positions, I’ve been asked to illustrate and design to a specific look and feel. Sometimes, the project needed to be bold and graphic, other times, subdued and muted or sweet and whimsical.

This chameleon-like approach to creating work was necessary in past positions, but it’s been absolute death when it comes to establishing a visual identity for myself. By designing around other styles and projects, my image collection has become schizo-artistic. Any art director visiting my website or Instagram account is likely to think, “What the heck am I even looking at, here?” There’s no clear visual style. If they hired me, how would they ever know what they’d actually get in terms of look and feel, personality and approach?

So, how do I find my style? Create a lot of work? You bet. Beyond that, though, I’m not sure. But I’m determined to find out. So, given my affection for organization and a scientific approach, I’ve mapped out a plan that will take me from January through December of 2022.

I’ll be playing with all sorts of different media over the coming year—from the humble pencil, to block printing, to painting, collage, and the (intimidating-to-me) fiber arts.

I’ll also be diving into books, online courses, and other resources exploring different aspects of style including color, media, and, yes, how to develop your own distinctive style. I’ll research different historic style periods I admire. I’ll talk with other folks who’ve already found their way to their style, and ask what path they took to get there.

And, I plan to share it all here.

By the end of the year, I hope to have found a way forward toward my own visual identity. And if it turns out I don’t have my own style? Well, at least I’ll have had a lot of fun along the way. 

So, here’s to 2022!