The first step in the branding, rebranding, and tweaking processes artists go through is inspiration. What are you drawn to, again and again? It can be a play of color, light, or style. The ultra-chic or the comfortable. The abandoned (yes please!), the sleek, or the mid-century modern. Does furniture design inform your photography? Can a wedding planner help you be a better painter? How can you use the world at large to better define your own vision?
Three easy steps can take you a long way when (re)defining your brand:
1.) Ignore your industry for two weeks.
Yes, I know you blogstalk this wedding designer, that public relations firm, or those photographers, but that’s terribly limiting. If you’re only drawing inspiration from those inside your industry, you’re more likely to come up with a copycat design. If, however, you manage to turn an episode of Gilligan’s Island fashion into a new website concept, I’m guessing you’ll be labeled brilliant and original.
You’ll find that those two weeks provide startling clarity, and time for your voice, your likes, and your dislikes — the ones you’ve been ignoring because you needed to ‘feel the pulse of the industry’ or ‘keep up with the Joneses.’ What if you HATE the look of x that’s in fashion right now? (Hammer pants, anyone?) This leads to…
2.) Give yourself permission to be you.
Yep, it’s been said a million times by all the experts, and with good reason. If, as a clothing designer, you whip up 15 red garments for your Spring line but ABHOR the color red, your work isn’t going to be all that and a bag of chips. Embrace your love of magenta, of shooting Polaroids, of working through 4 a.m. three nights a week. Give it up for authenticity, people!
3.) Collect objects that speak to you.
If you can’t afford to go onto Etsy and buy every single item that inspires you (hey, if you have an extra $6.2 million lying around, go for it), buy just one. If you can’t afford one, bookmark that bad boy and then make a list of what it is about this object that draws you in and speaks to you.
Collect five of these objects — these utterly you, utterly awesome objects — and in the descriptions of why these items sing your name, you’ll find some substance for your brand design. I promise.
That’s it for today, honeys: ignore your industry. Get inspired. Collect objects. And let me know how it goes, of course.
Once upon a time I was a Girl Scout and enjoyed earning many merit badges. I've made a merit badge for grown-up photographer-people to make business stuff more fun. 
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