The netpaper about Elftowners, by Elftowners, for Elftowners.
Reinventing your Style
by [Mordigen]
As we grow, change, mature-- in life, and in our art-- we not only alter our outlook and attitude on life in general, but we also alter how we portray that in our work. So how do you reinvent your own style while staying true to yourself and those who may admire and look up to you?
Sell out vs. Egotistical
The two most feared things in the art industry, whether it be visual, written, music or otherwise. A sell out has become generally known as someone who abandons their own beliefs and principles to better suite a specific group of fans, critics or other authority. And, of course, the egotistical are those who care nothing for the admirations or respects of fans, fellows, critics, mentors or otherwise; they think that their way is the only way, and sacrifice no shame to prove that true. So how do you find the middle ground?
Though the concept may be hard to grasp at times, it is fairly simple. You know who you are, and you know where you came from-- simple as that. Who you are defines how you reinvent yourself, how you grow. Where you came from defines how you became who you are now, how you reached these new changes, and it also defines the time before this change. If you are new, and have a growing fan base, or even if you are a pinnacle of your industry with a headstrong following, it's blending those two concepts that can keep you afloat or sink you in a heartbeat.
Sad truth: a good majority of highly respected artist/writers and so forth who already have a firm following can do just about anything and their fans would adore them, but never doubt that they have had to struggle with this same dilemma, which is what has made them stand the tests of time. If you are new and growing, you have to keep in mind: yes, in this industry it is mainly about self expression, but on the other hand, if you have hopes of becoming professional (which not everyone does, which is fine), the tough love approach is simply this: you are nothing without someone else thinking you are something. Translation: you don't have fans, you ain't worth s**t. It's the harsh truth of every business in this industry, which is why a lot of people do not go professional.
Before anyone makes a change, or jumps headlong into the professional aspect of this industry, you have to ask yourself how much you are willing to give. Everyone is different, and there is nothing right or wrong with any of it, it is what makes you happy. Some people just cannot bend on their beliefs and principals and what they want to portray in their work, which is absolutely fine, but in this case professionalis
m is probably not the best bet until you have already built a strong fan base that holds the same principles as you. In such cases, reinventing yourself or changing your styles is no tricky business, as you have nothing to loose.
For those who hope to go professional, it still stands on the fine line between blending what you were into what you are. Again, you're nothing until someone else thinks your something. If you have a new or growing fan base, you may actually have a bit more leeway-- they're still getting to know you, you're still getting to know them; you have much more room to redefine yourself as you grow. With people who have strong followings, again, you can do just about anything and they'll still love you. It's the middle ground that is the hardest. Keep in mind what you are known for, and stay close to that. If you are an artist who has a good-size fan base in anime, you don't want to jump right into still life art. If you are a writer who specialized in fantasy, you don't want to do a 180 into a murder mystery. These examples are a bit blunt and cliché, but it gets the point across. You want to try to transition yourself gradually, giving you, and the people who look up to you, time to adjust and really break into the new you. Stay true to your old tricks, while at the same time adding in new ones little by little.
In the long run, it's about staying true to yourself, expressing your own feelings, beliefs etc., so never be scared to break away, try something new. At the same time, you don't want to lose yourself either. Too often people become over zealous with trying new things, become too caught up in what they can accomplish, how many things they can master, how many new things they can try and conquer and they fall to far away from what they really are, forget what they really wanted to do. Keep a goal for yourself, one at a time, and work towards it, gradually. Once you've reached this goal, give yourself time to experiment and experience it wholly, giving yourself and fans alike time to adjust and become comfortable with it. Once this happens, you'll find yourself a better, more rounded and open artist/writer/musician/etc and can grow in your work even further, and easier with every step.
Never be too confident, never be too shy, never doubt yourself and use these easy steps to help guide you and you can surely grow and mature in your own industry to a respected artist that can surely withstand time...
-[Mordigen]
return to:
TH Issue 15 Index
The Town Herald - Issue 15 intro page
The Town Herald official wiki page
Stumble!