creating your business style no.5

applying what works for you

Photo credit; Leather-craft-37 Pixabay

Your creative style is a way of showing the world that you have something unique and have made it your own. You want to be true to yourself in finding that style, and then you can use this image to show your your clients who you are and what you stand for. If you try and tailor that style around your clients, then you are never in a position of creative control. The customers and colleagues you work with may change, so changing your appearance continuously to fit the ideas and expectations of others will probably be exhausting and counter-productive in the long run. Obviously there are many businesses where your individualities cannot be expressed as much as others. However, how you choose to wear a uniform will still be unique and a reflection of your personality.

Following your instincts when it comes to creativity and design is the best way to serve your clients and those you work with. You may have a boss, a manager, a mentor or a business coach, and you may have a whole host of other workplace influences, but your creative style is unique. There are many different ways to elevate your image and your profile. But if the overall package isn’t telling the right story, and isn’t truly authentic, then you are not operating to your full strengths. It doesn’t matter if you are doing the styling work yourself, or you are employing a professional. Your feelings about whether a certain aesthetic will work for you, is the most important element in this process.

A great creative style is distinctive without being too formulaic. You never know when you might need to change your image to work in a new environment, or attract a different sort of client. Really owning your style will allow you to make changes swiftly and effectively,. Because you can always see the bigger picture as it can be an organic growth rather than a sudden jarring rethink. Have a look at the ‘Making a Statement’ resource in my Inspiration Portfolio section and experiment with finding three words that you think best describe your approach to your image. Are you being intentional with your message? Your creative style should be solid in your mind, and help you to tell your story and be able to adapt and expand through lots of mutations, and still be recognisable.

While it is tempting to jump headlong into a look that your like, does your preferred style work with all aspects of your working life, or might you need to change a few things? It’s not so much your creative style that needs to be changed, you may just need to rethink how you apply it to your own unique needs. A penchant for wearing bohemian dresses might not work well if you are a solicitor, but can you use colourful shirts and scarves with your sharp tailoring? If you love wearing black, this might. not be ideal for your work as a therapist or teacher. None of this is industry specific. If you sell a product, your appearance will be probably be different from those who provide a service. However, regardless of how you express your creativity, making the whole package unique, identifiable and authentic will be of untold help to how you are perceived within your workplace.

All rights reserved. Milly Churchill asserts the right to be identified as the author of this work.