You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with
Jim Rohn, motivational speaker and self-help guru
In the same way that who we spend the majority of our time with influences the person we become, the art we create will ultimately be influenced by those artists we resonate with and draw inspiration from.
resonate verb
to have particular meaning or importance for someone: to affect or appeal to someone in a personal or emotional way
I think we are drawn to particular art and artists because their take on a particular concept resonates with something (a concept, a feeling, an idea) that already exists in its infancy inside us, and their response helps to clarify new possibilities for our own expressive endeavors. This is a connection that is more than likely happening subconsciously.
No two people will have exactly the same combination of experiences to draw upon, and similarly everyone will respond differently to the same stimuli, but this is what makes each of us unique.
Our interests, influences, experiences, experimentation and responses all combine and with dedicated practice to hone our craft we bring to light what is typically referred to as our ‘style’.
There is no point trying to force something to be before it is capable, for like it or not, a uniquely identifiable personal style only evolves through time – and is something that is constantly evolving. There is no endpoint.
Your personal style is not a destination to be sought, it is a journey to be taken. There are no short cuts for this one.
Enjoy the journey.
