Cultivating a Unique Style

Thoughts on Style, Part One

Over the next few newsletters, I plan on sharing some thoughts on the thorny topic of finding a creative style. (A new series! Woot!) It’s something that I think is important but misunderstood. Feel free to ask questions in the comments or chime in. Let’s talk about it.

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There was a time when I thought the work I was making was doomed.

Like cursed.

It looked like I’d duct taped my stylus to the butt end of a wild animal with no rhyme or reason for the decisions I was making. Digital or analog, it didn’t matter. It was unconvincing as credible and I knew it.

This was well after graduating college with an illustration degree and thus driving my parents into some kind of psychosis reserved for people who have burned large amounts of cash in a pit.

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I will say it wasn’t all bad. I had victories but they were fleeting. I’d get excited about applying texture to my work in a way that pleased me, while completely bummed that the rest of the art was undigestible. I think you can still find bits of this horrible illustration work if you dig far enough through my google search results. But please don’t. (Be kind, every time you see an illustrators early growing pains, a paintbrush loses its bristles somewhere, I think.)

I of course look back now and see exactly what was happening. In addition to just learning the craft of image making, I was gaining a sense of who I was. I was cultivating a unique style.¹ It turns out, this journey was absolutely important and one that was worth its weight in pain.²

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Why is the process of cultivating your style so important?

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I am excited to be creative

I cannot stress this enough. I think there’s a direct corollary between being myself creatively, hot on the trails of getting better at my style and the joy I feel when I’m working. I think it’s worth the extra time playing, making ugly stuff if it leads to a more authentic, personal style. The joy this brings will shine through. The cycle compounds as you get better and better being yourself.

I want the stuff I make to be full of passion and joy.

Authenticity is hot

Ha! That sub-title made me laugh. In the age of AI images and social media mosh pits, taking time to develop our style and voice is a super power. I’m not worried about people or robots mimicking me because what I do is so wrapped up in me. Plus, I’m always hacking away at my style, building and getting more fluent. I don’t even know where that will take me.

Agents and publishers value work that stands out

It may seem obvious, but work that is evocative, strong, and unique to you will open doors. This is from my literary agent’s website:

In illustration, she seeks unique voices and perspectives that have a voice so strong that it’s immediately recognizable as belonging to the creator.

If they find your style credible for telling a story, there’s a good chance you’ll find a larger audience that appreciates what you do, too. The absolute added bonus is that your work is recognizable as yours. It becomes your “brand.”³

The process reveals

I don’t know how to put this exactly. Erm... I think when I was kind of gestating as an illustrator, I was knee-deep in finding out about myself as a human at the same time. When discovering my voice (what I want to say) is being defined alongside my style (how I say it) there’s a bit of self-discovery that has been really valuable to me as a person. It’s good for me the person to be true to me the artist. And I’m 100% certain this makes no sense.

Synergy

If I’m working towards anything, it’s for all of this <everything I drone on about here> to work together to make compelling art. Style is a fingerprint that is unmistakably you that works in tandem with the rest to make a real mark, hopefully.

I don’t do advice normally, but here’s something I feel pretty strongly about. Don’t stop at “this is publishable” or “some people seem to like it” as a marker of successful style. I keep hacking away at it because I want to be true to who I am and I want to make beautiful books.

Just. Get. Better.

See you next week, friends.

1. There may be more efficient routes to developing your style, but I didn’t take them. In fact, I think it’s an ongoing process that I’ve learned to ride and even love.

2. Also, you might think my style isn’t unique at all. That’s cool. We can still be friends. Just don’t tell me, ok?

3. I’m sorry for using the word “brand” in my newsletter. I’m not a dung-lizard, I promise.