Remember when the first step to looking professional as an artist was ordering business cards? That’s exactly what I did when I started out.
These days, I don’t even have current business cards, but I do have a strong brand identity, and that’s far more powerful.
You don’t need stacks of printed materials anymore. Your website, Instagram, and email list do most of the heavy lifting for your art business.
But whether digital or print, every marketing piece you create needs to send the same clear message. That’s where too many artists stumble.
The Problem with DIY Design
Here’s the tough love that I can only say after so many years of experience: most artists think they’re better designers than they really are.
Artists thrive on creative expression, which can lead to trying a new font for every postcard, experimenting with endless Canva templates, or switching colors on a whim. That’s creativity, but it’s not communication.
Designers focus on communicating a clear and consistent message. Without that, your materials end up looking scattered. One postcard looks nothing like your website. Your Instagram doesn’t match your emails. The result? Confusion for your audience and a lost opportunity to build trust.
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Identity First
Before you start choosing fonts or colors, you need clarity about your identity as an artist, which is why this is developed over a long period of time alongside your art. Ask yourself:
- What story are you telling through your art?
- What kind of experience do you want people to have when they encounter your work?
- How do you want to be remembered?
When you’re clear about these things, design decisions become easier and more authentic. Skip this step, and no amount of design polish will save you.
The Solution: A Brand Kit
A brand kit is your shortcut to consistency. It holds your key design choices in one place:
- Fonts and colors
- Logo or wordmark
- Artist photos
- Templates for postcards, emails, or social posts
- Words and phrases that capture your essence
With a brand kit, you stop reinventing the wheel. Every touchpoint, from your website to a thank-you card, looks and feels like you.
Over time, that kind of consistency builds trust. It’s like showing up to every art opening wearing your signature hat: you’re instantly recognizable.
Build Your Brand Kit with Support
You don’t have to figure this out alone. Inside my Essentials program, we build your brand kit together.
I provide the framework, and you get feedback from me and a community of artists. It’s like a crit session but for your marketing (and friendlier). You’ll walk away with tools you can use again and again, saving time and energy for the studio.
Remember: identity first, then design, then consistency. That’s the path to a strong brand—one that helps your art stand out and makes it easier for collectors to remember you.
Learn more and join us inside Essentials.
Related Episodes
These episodes feature guests who have clarity about who they are as artists and what they want from their work:
