As a creative, it is important to recognize the evolution of your aesthetic. It is also important to maintain a strong presence of the word "aesthetic" in your vocabulary. However, there will come a time when you will outgrow your brand. It's one of those things you must simply accept will happen -- like death or your iPhone software becoming obsolete 14 minutes after you buy it. Better UPGRADE!!! Your iPhone AND YOUR BRAND! You should be upgrading your iPhone/rebranding every 14 minutes.
Don't be naïve! As a writer and comedian living in New York City (the capital of REBRANDING/the frequently mistaken state capital), I have to be overwhelmingly cognizant of my contemporaries and the current creative environment I am surrounding myself in. Because murdering my competition is technically illegal, I have to make sure I stay on my toes! And out of jail! What I'm trying to say is: you need to be standing outside a prison on your tiptoes ALL DAY LONG!!!
It's no secret that lucrative conglomerates/Taylor Swift hit that point when they've outgrown their brand and decided it was time for a new, fresh, fun and flirty look! There are a multitude of steps that need to be taken in order to execute a successful new image, but which step do you take first when going through a personal rebrand?
If you are an artist in any capacity, recognizing that your current brand has become stale is the first step towards a successful rebrand. First, omit "freelance" from all of your social media bios. Putting "freelance" anywhere in your -- what should be -- carefully curated web presence (CURATE! Are you using that word just as many times a day as you should be drinking water?! If not then WTF?!) tells your audience you bought your last meal at CVS. For example, instead of "Freelance Writer" I just plainly put "Writer" or "Professional Checking Account Overdrafter."
It's a little harder for creatives to come up with new ways to present themselves to the public. Companies have an elite team of designers, advertisers, and public relation virtuosos designated to tailoring their new public image. We as creatives need to analyze our demographic, what works with our new image, what doesn't -- all by ourselves! And to do it every 14 MINUTES! Exhausting! By the end of this paragraph, I'll already have rebranded myself as a writer AND a fire breather (my side gig).
Another important step in your personal rebrand is to be aware of who your audience is. Recognize your influence! Know who is watching and paying attention! When actor Mel Gibson rebranded himself as a Professional Bigot it made headlines! But not the good kind! Make sure you take into account how your audience will receive and respond to your change! And if you do harbor offensive and bigoted opinions, keep that to yourself/Twitter!
The most important thing when revamping your image is to remain true to yourself! Remember what is special about your craft and your identity. Remember to be a Sailor Moon in a sea of Sailor Mercurys. Yes, there are many facets to explore when embarking on a rebrand, but I guarantee no successful rebrand ever happened at the cost of losing who you are at the core. Your rebrand must accurately represent your inner spark and drive. And don't forget -- wait why am I still typing this?! I have to rebrand and go get a new iPhone AGAIN! The one I bought earlier today spontaneously self-destructed when I tried to sync it to my computer. GTG! Happy rebranding!