I've been a fan of writer/illustrator Keri Smith for some time, and recently on her blog I found her list of ten suggestions for infusing your work with your personality. Here are three that apply to writers as much as to artists:
* Document what you are responding to regularly. *journal/sketchbook, blog, listmaking, photo journal, bulletin board collage, internet bookmarks, Allow yourself to go deeper into an idea. Find influence outside of your field. Consider that you are ALWAYS working for yourself.
* Start to challenge yourself on a regular basis to try new things, (not just for work. *i.e. new foods, colors, processes, classes, travel, become a guerrilla artist, etc. Your hobbies are your greatest source of play.)
* "Pay no attention to the man behind that curtain." Ignore what other people are doing. It has no bearing on your existence or vision of the world. The times we feel the most discouraged are usually due to the fact we are comparing ourselves to others. Most times reading awards annuals, and industry mags only serves to make us feel inadequate. Try cutting it out entirely. Designer Bruce Mau recommends not entering awards competitions. His reasoning, “Just don’t do it, it’s not good for you.”
For the full list, go here. You may also want to pick up Keri's book, "Living Out Loud."
