Branding and Your Name

Branding sounds like such a harsh word yet, it is the catch phrase of the day. Some people believe that being an artist means getting your name on every other thing under the sun- it's all about the merchandise...cha ching right? Personally, I think artists that have longevity and lasting impact on culture are not the ones who have diluted their name and made sure it it was all over the latest who-zit or what-zit- I think at the bottom of the artwork or in a byline is fine by me but, that is my personal opinion I suppose...... I'd much rather have an original piece of artwork as opposed to a carbon copy that has been mass produced or a pair of scissors sporting some guy's name on them just for the sake of having something with some famous person's name on them. You see, I don't want my name to ever be on the "thing" that has just been replaced by a better engineered "thing"  nor do I ever want to feel compelled to sell something to someone if I know there is a better "thing" on the market and would be a wiser investment for their crafting dollars because the one with my name on it lines my pockets.... I don't want to be "That" artist. Do I condemn those who choose to do this? Well, no. Folks need to earn a living and need to do what is right by them and there is no wrong or right really.

My point here is, you only get one name really (I know there are folks who change them as they do their underware or, in the case of Prince, they replace it with a symbol....) but, for us normal folks, we get one name. Branding isn't about selling your name to the highest bidder. One of my dear friends told me once, "Don't sell your soul because, you will never be able to afford to buy it back...." Such wisdom. Having been a financial advisor in my previous life, I realized early on that companies with someone's name plastered all over them have less resale value and their stock share price is inextricably intertwined with the reputation of their namesake.....name goes to pot, so does the stock price.... bet you can name a few of those.

Branding is about the embodiment of a trend, a look, a fashion, an emotion and capturing it through an overall cohesive marketing plan. When folks think of me, they know I am a fruitloop and will most likely be wearing a black baseball hat with jeans (if I am not teaching in front of folks), dark rimmed glasses (if I have been up late), a t-shirt and if they look hard enough, the tell-tale signs that I have been in the studio will show up in technicolored bits adhered to my fingernails. My "style" of art is as complex and varied as my interests and because I grew up learning and mastering a variety of artforms, I am as at home with a calligraphy pen as I am with a weaving loom.

Branding is an organic thing if you are smart about it; it does not stay stagnant, can't be typecast or pigeon-holed. Branding evolves as we interact with our customers and life in general. With evolving technology and a global economy, branding will too take on new forms. Each voice on the internet is in effect it's own brand, as an artist, you have decide whether the proverbial 15 minutes is fine by you or whether you will spend the time to create a name for yourself and your work.