"How Do I Develop A Unique Style?"

My "Style"

I know where this question comes from.  In my first year at Sheridan College, I got really upset when my 2D Design teacher told me that my work was good but cliché.  I became obsessed with finding a unique style, only to realize years later that I had a “style” all along.  In my painting class even though we were given the exact same materials and the exact same model, not one of the paintings produced by the entire class looked similar. Not one.

Therefore, I have concluded that each of us is born with a “style”, or the unique way of looking at the world around us. 

My advice to students is stop worrying about “style” and to work on their skills.  Picasso was obsessed with developing a “style” and I feel that after he has reached a certain point his work stopped growing as a result.  On the other hand, Monet painted.  Looking at a lifetime of Monet’s paintings you can see growth in his skills and changes in his “style”.

Give yourself a break and do what you love.

I promise you, you will find someone who will love your work… even if others see it as “cliché”.