Taste: Your Creative Aesthetic

Identifying your style

What contributes to your creative style? 

This is a long exercise, so you get two weeks to explore! The next post will be on August 24th.

As creatives, we often are in search of our ‘style.’ This seems elusive, and we look outside ourselves for answers. Our style is like the features on our faces - ever-present, yet not always visible to us. As artists, we’re often seeking our creative style, or our voice. While this may seem like an inherent trait, it’s actually cultivated over time. 

While recognizing our aesthetic might not be easy, when we have understanding and language around our style, we earn a sense of confidence. Like a business has its brand guidelines in one accessible place, having your artist’s aesthetic guidelines can help you know yourself better, make decisions more easily, and own your creative kookiness. 

Style excavation can be fun. So many parts of our lives play a role in our creative style. We each have our own styles: 

• Lifestyle

• Creative style

• Fashion style

• Food style

Your lifestyle will reflect your artist back to you. Even if you are super busy and feel like your other roles dominate your artist, you will still be able to discern defining features of your lifestyle. 

• Active or internal

• Lots of people, or a few people

• Private or public

• Minimalist or maximalist 

INVITATION 

Make some notes about your lifestyle. Imagine you are a character in a movie and we’re witnessing you go about your days. No need to be super detailed, just jot down things that define the way you live. 

My lifestyle notes would include: 

• A lot of time alone working or creating

• Time in nature in my garden, the park and on walks in my neighborhood

• Lots of time with food - planning, shopping, cooking, eating

• Most of the time at home in Denver interspersed with 1-3 week long trips

• Selective socializing, preferably 1:1.

  

  My table always has flowers; these from my garden last year

INVITATION 

Play with your fashion style inventory. Look at pictures of yourself. How would you describe your style? Mine: 

• Comfortable

• Colorful

• Bohemian

• Slightly European, mostly Colorado casual but just shy of atheleisure.

What does your artist like to wear? If they had a wardrobe, what would it include? That might mean grubby clothes that can get dirty in the studio. My artist has to wear an apron around the kitchen and garden and studio. It’s weird, but it’s not because I get dirty as much as it’s some sort of shield and comfort. Plus, the pockets! 

Maybe your artist has a special hat or shawl or jumpsuit. Maybe they need one!

When you look at your lifestyle inventory, ask yourself how your artist fits in. How are their needs reflected in your days? How does your clothing choice reflect your creativity? 

I love this outfit! I feel so Japanese. I want it in many colors. Great for teaching my Paris Sketchbook workshop!

Taste Inventory 

Our preferences and interests contribute to our taste. What we read, watch, listen to and give our attention to is a result of our taste. Our taste has an influence on our creative work. 

Revisit the list of things you love. What kinds of writing or art move you? What’s your favorite genre? Check your bookshelves or viewing history. 

You’ll recognize your themes and styles in the genres you prefer. Watching the movie Good Grief, I recognized the emotional depth and honesty I want in my own storytelling. Seeing this movie validated my instincts and reflected my aspirational style to me. 

I tend toward emotional, psychological dramas. I want my stories to move me. With visual art, I love floral design. I love line and color. I have a fondness for whimsical, line-drawn illustrations. 

INVITATION 

Take a look at the things you have consumed in recent months. Consider clothes, art, books, films/TV, food and activities. 

This may seem daunting and it’s not meant to categorize everything you’ve done. Imagine your life as a movie and this is a montage. Scan through recent weeks or months to see what you did, ate, consumed, etc that pops out for you. 

Make a short list. Mine: 

• North Woods novel by Daniel Mason

• Demon Copperhead novel by Barbara Kingsolver

• The French Ingredient nonfiction book by Jane SSSSS

• Come Together nonfiction book by Emily Nagoski 

• Ripley TV series starting Andrew Scott

• A Nearly Normal Family Danish TV series 

• Fail Better podcast by David Duchovny

• The Great Creators podcast by Guy Raz

• The Bookcase podcast by Charlie and Kate Gibson 

• Tons of great food at Honest Greens in Lisbon 

• Time planning and planting my garden 

• Biking in Paris and Denver

Then make a list of descriptors. What words describe the things you have really loved?

My descriptors: 

• Descriptive writing with great characters (literary fiction)

• Personal stories of daring leaps requiring transformation

• Real-life stories of how people make things

• Stories of people not telling the truth and getting away with it (not sure what this says about me but it’s a big trend in entertainment and politics these days)

Your storytelling taste could include: 

• Drama

• Humor

• Melancholic

• Upbeat

• Raunchy 

• Slapstick 

Your food and clothes taste could include: 

• Colorful

• Variety 

• Patterns

• Textural mixes 

My style guidelines include: 

Deep exploration into what it means to be in relationship with others and what it means to live a creative life. Themes of integrity and resiliency. Fast-paced, energetic, colorful, textural. Fresh, vibrant, variety yet also visible patterns. Blending several things to get one unique new thing. 

You know me…I LOVE coffee cups. Check out this clever chandelier in an airport cafe! I love clever things in unexpected spaces.

Set this all aside and let it marinate. Come back to your list of descriptors for the things you are consuming. See if this cobbles together into a list of how you would describe your taste or style in your own projects. This becomes your artist’s style guidelines. We’ll explore this all more deeply with values and themes. 

Affirmation: My style is my own and my artist contributes. 

In the comments: What did you notice about your taste and style?