Artist Branding Homework

In one of my many incarnations as an artist, I thought I wanted to go into traditional acting. The whole "head shot, audition, stand in line with a thousand other competing actors" route.

Although I always felt inside I was a Dennis Hopper Blue Velvet type guy, when I started asking around I realized my outward appearance didn't really lend itself to that type of role. And so, I made a list of about 100 roles on a sheet of paper, went to the Portland airport with a friend and conducted an informal survey. I took a seat and my friend went up to strangers and said, "You see that guy over there, what role as an actor do you think he could play?"

What I got back was a little eye opening. I wasn't the weirdo bank robber type. In fact, I was just the opposite. We asked 80 people that day and most of them saw me as a granola type mountain biking every man. So much for my acting career.

Oftentimes, others can pinpoint the theme of your work much easier than you can. This week, I suggest you interview others to begin to narrow your brand.

What are you trying to say with your artwork? You may not know. So, this week, bite the bullet and ask 3-5 friends what they think the underlying theme is in your art form. You may be surprised at their feedback.