Creating & Marketing Your Unique Artistic Style

The struggle that almost every artisan faces in this business is creating a style that is unique and then marketing that aspect.  I am not the greatest salesperson but I do recognize the value of a good market strategy. There are hundreds of jewelry makers, gourd makers, artists & craftsmen out there.  My market strategy is simple.  There is no one out there, that I have found, that does those things they way I do or can do it better than me.

For example, There are folks that buy beads & parts at craft stores make jewelry and vendors that get jewelry and sell it for a company like a franchise.  I, on the other hand, order my parts online in bulk and make my own pendants and earrings by cutting, shaping & melting the raw materials in my kiln.  I also find local semiprecious gemstones for making into jewelry. My designs are truly hand made and unique one of a kind pieces.

 My artwork is also uniquely my style.  I like to do portraits of people or animals or both.  What makes mine unique is that I usually do them in pencil - not paint and I sometimes add pops of color with colored pencil.  I have done some in full color that end up looking more like a watercolor.  When I choose a subject, I can see it completed in my head before it is finished so I have already decided how much color, if any will be involved.

When an artist begins to develop their own style, it is like taking a creative journey.  While it is a simple process sometimes it can be difficult to master.  The key (as in anything) is practice, practice, and more practice.




 Once you have developed your skill set and understand the rules of the medium you can then become experimental with the skills or bend rules to foster the creation of your style.  The process takes time.  The beauty is seeing your personal progression and it is very rewarding for most artists.  It is like life itself...It is all about the journey.