Since I started as a creativity coach 10 years ago, I’d say about 90% of my clients have wanted to talk about getting into business, if they weren’t already. That crossover from being an artist/creator, and wanting to make a living from creative work, is so overwhelming for most creatives, that I am determined to simplify the process, including branding.

For the last year or so, I’ve been diving into learning about branding, and Goodness me, it’s given me the runaround.

It seems every expert, every author has his/her own take on branding, and how to build a strong brand. There are a gazillion terms for the same thing (mission statement, vision, proposition, USP, onlyness statement, purpose, manifesto)

For brand strategy there are numerous funnels, wheels, prisms, tables…you name it.

It’s totally and utterly overwhelming.

I’ve had to take breaks from the overload of information, and all the time I’ve felt, there must be a simple way to get started with branding as an artist, photographer, coach, illustrator, and any other type of creative.

Also, almost all the information I have looked into is geared towards companies, and not an individual artist who’d like to begin selling her art through her website, maybe a market, and who doesn’t have a budget for hiring a brand consultant.

Dear artist dipping your toes into business, this post is for you

What is branding - the simplest definition?

Branding is the process of influencing those thoughts and feelings people have, when they think of your business.

A brand is a business that has achieved influencing those feelings and thoughts from us customers, for good or bad.

3 beginner branding tips for artists

Again, this is for you who know a little about branding, but words like brand strategy, brand personality, brand architecture, brand voice, finding brand colours, fonts, etc. make you turn to Netflix because… Arhh!!

1. Look for the bigger meaning for your business

I do recommend you take some time to think about what the bigger meaning is for you, to want to start this business.
What is the point of it?

I hope you want to make money, money is good. Making a good living as an artist is a worthy and important goal. However, through the lens of branding, making money is a benefit, an extra.
See if you can go a bit deeper.

e.g. Is it to have more freedom to work from home, or because you crave connecting with likeminded artists?

Maybe something in you want to join in the conversation around climate issues?

Maybe you’ve had an experience in a grey, drab hospital, and you wish all institutions could be full of art.

It could be there is something that annoys you so much you want to change it.

You may know the answer, but you may also have no idea. Both are normal. Also, the purpose of your business doesn’t have to change the world. That kind of pressure can quickly turn into a creative block.

If you give yourself some time and space, you might notice a small voice, an intuition almost silent. That can be the spark of something bigger.

You can journal, meditate and do yoga around this. Maybe chat with girlfriends.

Knowing deeply why you want to take your art onto a business stage, is super useful for yourself, and for making decisions going forward.

2. What are the qualities that drive your business?

Also called your values.

Having 1-5 core values you center your business around helps you stay centered, and make the right decisions. It’s easy to get pulled in different directions (ahem, shiny object syndrome!)

Separate your values from the values of your brand

Your brand/business values can be different from your personal values. They’ll probably overlap, maybe they are the same, it’s just to say, that it’s ok to have a separate work life from your private life, as an artist.

If you have a job, you probably also bring just part of you to work, and leave some stuff private.

A lot of you will be in your business, as a solo entrepreneur, but I think it’s good to have some separation from your business. It makes it easier to “go to work” and make smart business decisions, including setting clear boundaries, and not let emotions rule all the time.

E.g. lets say you have Ethics as a value, then this is what you center your business around. The art, the materials used, how you show up, what you talk about. You obviously won’t do duchy sales tactics (who does that anyway?)

You will quality check ideas, collaborations, products, etc. against whether or not they match your ethics.

I have simplicity as a value. It’s what I keep returning to, and when I look back, I have always sought simplistic solutions and styles. It’s really important to me, that I try and keep things simple, from my website design to how I like to learn, to the clothes I wear.

It’s not about minimalism, but simplifying. It annoys me when things are overcomplicated. I tend to overthink and my brain is busy, so I’m forever trying to simplify.

If you’re looking for a resource for this The Brandstrand Manifesto by becolourful.co.uk might be worth a look.

3. Focus on your own creative expression and art

This might not be your obvious branding tip, but I think it’s more important, and useful long term, to focus on your art and creative expression, and not worry about brand personality, brand voice….

As an artist starting a business, your work, and your way of doing things, is what this whole business is about.

As a creativity coach, I encourage my clients to specialize in their own creative processes. Not try and fit into someone else’s. There has to be something to brand, you know? You have to be who you are, and make the work only you can make. That goes for all of us.

Branding is about being interesting, and not have customers be confused about who you are and what you do.

If your head hurts from trying to figure out branding, selling, marketing, and other stuff, my advice to you is this:

Focus on doing your work!

If you feel you’re being pulled away, come back to your work. Find a home in your work. Practice, make rubbish, try again, make it about joy and self-love.

How early to think about branding, as a new solo entrepreneur?

If you ask a brand consultant, or a brand designer they’ll say as soon as possible, and that’s fair, as it’s their business, and they have knowledge we don’t have.

If you ask a brand photographer, a brand designer, and some web designers, they’ll say you should invest in professional photography as soon as possible.

And as a creativity coach, I’ll say, what is your business? It’s your work, so focus on that. :)

How much branding do you really need when new in business?
You need the art you make and want to sell, and then you need to find out how to sell it.

You concentrate on that for the first few years, you can get back to other brand elements as and when.

If you’re into learning more about branding, Nick Liddell’s book You are a Fish is a good read. Get it for free here

I hope you have found this post useful.
I’d love for you to get my emails. That’s a place I share most of what is going on, in front and behind the scenes.