Build A Sticky Creator Brand!

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IT, I CAN CREATE IT.

SELF EXPRESSION IN MATERIAL FORM. CREATING WHAT HAS NEVER BEEN.

** Whispers in your ear ** "Workshop". Wait. Wait. Wait... Let me try again, "Studio". Or how about a casual stroll down a brick-lined sidewalk, witty messages painting the street-the likes of Basquiat, with artisanal local shops heaped together like buckets of Halloween candy—all ripe for you to take in the inspiration. Did that send the sensation of itty bitty snowmen running up and down your (fill in the blank)? Your approach to the world is not “What is this?”, it’s “What does this want to be?” You have the gift of creating and controlling meaning and could paint your way out of a literal box. Ideas flow from you like a rushing waterfall and you gift them to others like you’re MF-ing Kris Kringle. This may look like actual art (aka the manifestation of your heart in material form), DIY kits, the creation of new spaces, or even entire worlds.

You have the ability to imagine a different way. You bring into the world that which didn’t exist two seconds ago. And even when the inspiration is running more like a slow, dripping faucet, you believe in the process of creativity and your own ability to tap into it. You're not just making waves, you're the whole damn ocean, crashing against the shore of the mundane, ready to erode it away and sculpt something breathtakingly new. It’s not about breaking the mold; it's about never acknowledging the mold in the first place. Your creativity isn’t just a part of you—it is you, in all its audacious glory, seducing others to jump into the waters of imagination with reckless abandon.

THE COMMON THREAD

So why build a Creator brand? You first exist to realize your own vision of self-expression THEN add value to others by helping them see the world in a different light, shape culture and the future along with it.

ON-BRAND BEHAVIOR

You create new things that make people feel more INSPIRED, CONNECTED TO SOMETHING, and CAPABLE. Mediocrity and unoriginality have no place in your universe. You'd just as soon round up all who disagree with that sentiment and blast them off to a doppelgänger planet (since they appreciate copies so much). Your messaging encourages others to unleash their imaginations and creativity to build something (or an idea) that lasts longer than their earthly existence.

SHADES OF THE (NAME) ARCHETYPE

ARTIST | WRITER | INNOVATOR | VISIONARY | STORYTELLER

While there are universal truths about the Creator archetype, there are shades to this! On one end of the spectrum, you may be an actual artist driven to simply create something beautiful or meaningful. On the other end, you may be solving problems that drive innovation or improve the way we interact with the world.

THE BREAKDOWN:

Here is the quick and dirty hit list of traits, brand do's and don'ts, themes and IN THE WILD examples to inspire your sticky Creator brand elements!

• Nonconformist

• Imaginative

• Inventive

• Expressive

• Inspired

• Metaphor-rich

• Evocative

• Confident

• Full of possibilities

• Unexpected

• Individuality/Expression

• Free mind and heart

• Push boundaries

• Different

• Make/Experiment

• Imagination

• Curiosity

• Inspired spaces

• Artistic control

• Immortality

• Processes

• Dismantle

• Visioning

• Inspiration

• Master Your Craft

• Conform

• Mediocrity

• Perfectionism (as best you can)

• Censor

• Overly critical

• Stifle

• Shoddiness

• Poor composition

• Inflexibility

Your offers lead your audience to create meaning and a more beautiful world. Consider:

• Lead magnet: A tutorial, behind-the-scenes peek at your process

• Hero product: A Workshop

• High-end service: Custom Commission

On-brand themes + perspectives to jumpstart a brilliant brand story!

Angle//

Show and tell! Show us your work, then tell us what we don't see- your thought process (or process in general). Your greatest opportunity is to bring your audience into your way of thinking- allowing us to try on your glasses. Start by painting a vivid picture of how most see the world, and then reveal all of the elements that we can't see that make our picture more rich, nuanced and beautiful.

Lens//

• If I ruled the world...

• Creating that which doesn't exist

• Through the looking glass

• Loss of Inspiration

• ______: Is in the eye of the beholder

Word Bank//

• Muse

• Imagination

• Make

• Create/Creativity

• Inspiration

• Project

• Co-Create

• Curate

• Studio

• Commission

• Expression

• Collection

• Design

• Blueprint

• Build

• Artisan/ Artisanal

• Style

• Mood

• Colorful

• Skilled/Talented

• Craft

• Picture

• Paint

• Canvas

• Perspective

Be inspired by other Creator brands out in the wild!

• Lego

• Crayola

• Canon

• Martha Stewart

• Don Draper (from Mad Men)

• Williams-Sonoma

EXPLORER | INNOCENT | SAGE | HERO | MAGICIAN | REBEL | CREATOR | NURTURER | RULER | GUY/GIRL NEXT DOOR | LOVER | JESTER

GET YOUR FREE "STICKY BRAND SLINGSHOT" NOW!

Sticky brands carefully blend two or three archetypes into an irresistible cocktail to tell a richer, more nuanced story and connect in ways that feel more human and desirable! Grab this free slingshot to help you craft your sticky brand right now!

Credit:

The information shared within this article is based on the psychology-backed work of Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson as well as Margaret Hartwell and Joshua C. Chen.