To 'Me' or not to 'Me'? That is the question!?

Another fab week has been had at 'the bird talks', I got accepted into the amazing @roysartfair and may I say, HOW ECSTATIC AM I!?! (The answer is VERY).

But let's shelve this for the time being.

A question was raised this week whilst deciding what name I should have on my stand at the art fair...........'My Name' or 'My Brand'?

It really led me to some deep thinking about identity, personal and professional, leaving me asking myself 'where do you want to go with this?'.

Naturally, I put the question out to the social media masses, Facebook friends, the Coven girls and just about everyone I bumped into in a corridor or toilet queue...

As my boyfriend pointed out, I got the desired effect. It did get everyone talking about it.

People love to share advice! And I like to receive it. I'm deeply passionate about sharing information and collecting from multiple sources so you can operate from the place of 'best informed'. However, it did cause divide in opinion with most leaning towards the brand.

Without trying, it seems that going against the grain is something I've always been an expert at, so it stands to reason I couldn't just take the easy path on this journey. Why not just self declare as an Artist using my name?

Well...it's bloody good question that's left me pondering. Maybe it's because that would be the obvious route, or maybe it's a deep aversion to being pigeonholed, or maybe it's just that 'Kelly Edwards' doesn't exactly inspire the exotic!

Ultimately, I created 'the bird talks' for a reason.

Articulating what's on the inside still fails me but I'll try to explain for those that don't really get my angle.

Painting is my obsession, I love it and that comes first and foremost in this adventure. BUT. I want to create more than this, to what end I am unsure, I just know that I want to create something bigger for the future of this business than just selling my original canvases.

What I desire more, far more, is to create a brand that breeds and spreads a happy culture for everyone that comes across us now and in the future. A brand that is real, created by a real person living a real life, not just a life for the 'gram, featuring all the ups downs of becoming an Artist with no prior experience or knowledge whatsoever and forging a business out of thin air. 'the bird talks' is and will evolve as a social stop as much it was created to sell my art work.

Whether this be online or in person, for the customers or the browsers and in particular, for new artists that are starting out the same as I am and are trying to find their feet...this is a place you can stop by for a happy injection, an original piece of art, some reassurance you're on the right path or hopefully a stroke of witty banter! (You can decide on the latter).

Ultimately, it is important to know who is behind the brand but maybe we are just one and the same! ;)