Chapter Four - Your brand

 

Chapter Four

Your Brand

The strangest thing about the human condition is that throughout school, we are given the same information, the same standardized tests, sometimes even a uniform if you went to a private school, and we’re more or less trained to blend in and conform to an idea of normal. At least, there is a defined expectation that we get used to, or else you become that odd child who has strayed from the norm just far enough to be pointed out to your classmates. It takes a lot of courage to stand out, to be different, to be heard, so we have to unlearn those tendencies to fit in. We have to lose sight of shore, to create from a personal place that isn’t attached to something known and safe. You have to let your inside voice come out somehow in your art, boldly and unapologetically, refined for the context of your audience. Finding that voice, that unique point of view, that style of consistent delivery, becomes your brand. 

You can’t just unlock your brand or suddenly realize it by looking in a mirror. It’s not a thing you achieve, like a title or status. It evolves with you as you get older. It is urgent, personal, and  relatable, yet uncompromising. It sets some important boundaries and context for both your audience and your collaborators. Most importantly, it’s a muscle of trust that you have to exercise, a constant gut check for what your true, most honest reaction is, and your greatest contribution. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you build a great brand with only the best parts; The sum of you as an artist is made from your triumphs as well as your failures, the places where you feel most confident and the failures you’ve had to endure. 

Let’s take a look at your unique voice and place in this world. The magic of your talent and the need for it in this world is that up to now, your entire life is the palette you paint from. Regardless of the medium you’ve chosen, you use that experience to create something in an empty space, whether it’s a blank page, an empty stage, or a blank canvas. From that space, where an audience anticipates an unknown something to happen, you have the power to take them somewhere, to bring them to the present. They’re captive for a moment, for an hour, for two hours, focusing on nothing but what you’re giving them. Especially in modern times, this has a value that can’t be downplayed at all. Attention spans are getting shorter, people are distracted focusing on where they’re going, where they’ve been, or even trying to outthink the TV show or movie they’re seeing. They’re looking for a payoff and the only way to really bring them to the present is by sharing a very frank and honest humanity with them. 

Humanity is what we all bring to the table, whether it’s overt or kept safe from view, so it’s worth pointing out the value of it. This doesn’t mean you have to be a weepy raw nerve on a therapist couch in order to stand out. It does require that you be honest with whom you are, what you have to say, and for what purpose you say it. Note that I’m not mentioning the audience. I’m not putting any importance on them at all. There’s absolutely no way for you to deconstruct an audience’s needs unless the purpose is super specific, and each medium has its own way of dealing with them. No, this is about what YOU bring to that place where an audience is waiting for you to make the moment change. They’re waiting for you to make an impact, so bring yourself and your life experience to this point to that halfway point. 

You may feel tempted, as you start putting this brand out there and explore what feels right and what feels false, to correct who you are or what you do based on advice or feedback from your audience, critics, or your circle of support. Unless they’re a conjoined twin, none of them have been there from the start and none will follow through when things aren’t going your way. Audiences - and let’s be real here, anyone not collaborating with you in your space is part of the audience - are defined by their reactions. It’s their job to do so, and when you consider where they’re coming from (as with your “competitors”), the variety of their reactions don’t merit any changing on your part, unless you’re really crossing a line that offends everyone. Then it’s up to you, consequences in measure. 

Rehearse the trust in your instincts. Be bold, truthful. Practice honesty and courage, and know that you as you are, as you’ve come to be, have value, especially when you powerfully break that silence, mark that canvas, inspire that audience to feel something in the present. It won’t feel right for a while, but you will thank yourself for not compromising yourself, and everyone will know who you are. Not everyone will agree with how they feel about you, but there’s consensus on who you are and you have framed that consensus, THAT is a brand. It is a lifetime of self-discovery, but as long as you catch up to the present and then let it go, you’ll be fine. 

If you think that this alone is daunting, social media will really test your will. That’s why it has its own chapter.  If you’re ready to tackle that, I guess you could call this “swiping to the left”.