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5 Secrets To Honing Your Artist Voice And Style

By Milan Art Institute on June 23, 2021

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Photo caption: Developing your artistic voice and style helps you develop an audience of collectors. Photo courtesy of Dimitra Milan.

The agony and the ecstasy of every artist is discovering and mastering their unique voice and style. It is what makes an artist unique and also sellable. It’s that certain something that makes someone point to a piece and say, “That’s a Picasso or a Van Gogh or even a Kinkade.”

Understandably, it’s important to do everything you can to develop your own unique voice if you’re interested in becoming a professional artist someday. Your voice as an artist is such an intimate reflection of who you are as an individual, and as a result, this goal can feel daunting.

There are, however, very important key secrets to reflect on that will help you to unlock powerfully executed imagery in your paintings. Your voice is not only incredibly gratifying to discover, but it’s something that is meant to be discovered to help change lives through your beautiful art.

Keep reading to learn about five important principles that will help you hone in on your voice and style.

1. Self Discovery

Know yourself deeply. Having self awareness is crucial, and once you know what you’re about, you don’t have to consciously or actively try to add voice to your painting. It will shine through naturally.

This way it won’t look contrived or like a knock off copy of someone else’s art. Knowing yourself better often comes with paying attention to patterns in your life.

Patterns with recurring images that you find beautiful, your habits, and desires are all examples of things to pay attention to while you seek to truly understand yourself.

2. Extreme Emotion

Consider what you are passionate about in various areas of life. What tugs at your heart, whether it’s in a positive or negative way? These are clues to what your voice in your art will speak to.

3. Take Note Of Triggers

Like extreme emotion, experiences that cause intense feelings are signposts to what facet of life you are meant to have triumph in. Pinpoint where these triggers come from. They usually come from a significant memory or memories from the past.

4. The Other Side Of Pain

Your voice is the power that comes from overcoming your deepest pain. Once you acknowledge what that is, ask yourself what the other side (the opposite) of your pain is. That’s your superpower. That’s your voice.

5. Be a Leader of Culture

When the wall of resistance comes, the fastest way to get through it is to be willing to die- die to your fears to overcome the negative emotion. This is a very brave and courageous thing to do.

As a leader, and as an influencer, you must be willing to face yourself and the prospect of failure. Hitting walls is a regular occurrence. It’s actually what takes you even deeper into healing and strength.

Painting is healing and your paintings will heal others. It’s noble and valiant to be willing to put everything you have on the canvas.

Final Thoughts On The Power Of Your Voice

The evolution of your voice and style is a lifelong journey, and the very fact that there is no finish line is what keeps you going. You’ll never feel like you’ve “arrived.” The end goal is ever elusive. The substance of power and transformation will always be present when you step into your superpower and create with authenticity.

It’s frightening at times to face the painful parts of yourself and transmute those emotions into strength, but the victory is so much sweeter than the bitterness of the pain.

Humanity is craving your triumph. When you succeed and heal, we all succeed and heal. Your art is vital for changing lives for the better. Your art can strike the heart of a priceless human being at the moment that they need it most.