“Finding your style” can be a daunting task.

This can be particularly overwhelming if you’re thinking of this endeavor as having a destination. What does this mean? Let me explain…

Finding your own unique style isn’t a specific moment in time that you arrive at, your style should always be growing and changing.

It’s an evolutionary process!!

When you think of it this way, it is less of a burden. The process becomes more important than the outcome. Think of it this way: finding your style doesn’t just happen at a specific time in your journey as an artist.

After six months of practicing, you should find your style!! This is unrealistic. It is incredibly overwhelming and just downright untrue.

Finding your style is an ever-evolving expedition. One on which most people forget to stop and smell the flowers! You never know what those moments will bring.

For me, a “stop and smell the flowers” moment has been adding gouache to my work lately. Here's an example of a recent tutorial I did on my YouTube channel of Tropical Flowers.

I’ve always avoided gouache. I’m not sure why. I just thought it wasn’t for me. Transparency is my thing! Well, a few weeks ago I decided to give it a go. I started with just adding white gouache to my watercolor paints and rapidly became obsessed.

You know that excitement and invigorating feeling you get when you have a new crush?? That’s what it was like. This has opened my eyes to a whole new world of play! And when we’re able to fully play and turn off our daily stresses, worries and mind chatter, THAT’S when we can truly discover and develop our unique style!

When we’re busy looking at other people’s work and copying it, we’re training ourselves to only create when copying. It’s a very limiting practice. Creativity is about discovery and play, discovering things that call to us and bring us to life.

Try new things. Explore! Awaken that feeling again, that little flame and see how finding your style comes about through this process.

Related: Finding Artistic Inspiration