it's okay if you don't have an art style

art style. something a little spooky about that term, even seeing it sends a little shiver along my arms. it's one of those evergreen topics that is ripe for discourse in online art communities. whether it's about finding one, developing one, or choosing one, there's seemingly no shortage of opinions on the "right" steps to follow to have one. I think art style is something both innate and externally influenced that evolves with culture and changing tastes. I don't consider it something that has to be fixed and, depending on your interests, could probably benefit from regular reinterpretation.

clarification: when I say art style is something innate, I'm referring to points of taste that are relatively consistent throughout one's life. for example, I think my art will always be somewhat influenced by anime/manga, baroque and art nouveau, music from the 2000s, and bright colorful palettes due to a combination of the context in which I grew up and interests I was drawn to early on. the degree to which these things show up from drawing to drawing will vary nor do I feel beholden to include them in everything I make.

when I say art style is influenced by external factors, I'm acknowledging that none of us live in a vacuum (ur always in that damn society) and receive ideas about what is popular, important, cool, transgressive, interesting, etc. from others and the world at large.

in many ways, I think my style has emerged from my failed attempts at imitating art styles I admire. over time, this has created a frankenstein of elements from various sources of inspiration that can't help but be its own thing. there have been times these attempts were more intentional than others, but liking something and wanting to capture it in some way often forms the basis for my experimentation.

in hindsight, there are styles I've tried that I like more than others, though I don't dislike any of them since it's what felt true to me at the time. it's interesting too to see what has stuck and what hasn't, but the only way for things to stick in the first place is to try them out. I often think that a desire for finding style is linked to a fear of the unknown. I suppose for some people they can draw things in the same style forever and feel perfectly fine with doing so, which to that I say more power to you. but the discussions I see online and my own experience with anxiety around art style have to do with this fear of doing art "wrong" or a need to do it "right".

looking up "art style" on YouTube produces a list of videos concerned with "finding" your art style "fast", with as little confusion and meandering as possible. there are also videos from artists lamenting how they feel "lost" without a "consistent" style. and I'm sure you've seen a flavor of "you're copying x's style!" comments section at some point that has a similar tone to playground talk among children insisting "stop copying me!!" as a way to assert identity and originality. some kind of association between style and personality clearly exists to the point where not having style means you're unmoored and without purpose. and what could be worse than that?

Digging For Your Buried Needs, Ask Polly

the oft-repeated need to "find an art style fast" to me speaks to a larger discomfort with mistakes and failure. a fear that what we try won't produce results that are beneficial, a fear of wasting time, a fear of searching only to come up empty-handed, all of which are unsurprising in a world that celebrates productivity and control. but I prefer to think of style as something that is exploratory, that changes with you throughout life, that helps you make sense of yourself and the world. for that reason, I'm disinterested in finding and keeping an art style, hissing at anyone who comes near it, protective of something that was never mine to begin with.

 whatever art style I "have" or that you may associate with me has emerged from an immense amount of experimentation spanning decades and countless sketchbook pages born out of a curiosity about something I saw or experienced. the times I've felt most insistent about style have been some of the most rigid and suffering periods of my life, sucking all the oxygen out of a room. when I allow interests to flow in and out of my life, it reinvigorates my curiosity, which is the only reason I started drawing in the first place. I try to lead with curiosity as often as possible and concern myself less with seeing life as a series of goalposts. I'll know it's time to change style when I feel that curiosity bubbling up again.

this life will change you, has changed you, and will continue to change you. if your art style is inconsistent then so be it. besides, I think it's wonderful that style is a reflection of what interests you and makes you feel alive. to feel moved by this life and each other and to show that appreciation through our creations is a form of connection, of conversation. to recognize ourselves in each other, even briefly, is beautiful. whatever style that message takes form in is allowed to and likely will change despite your best efforts.