E44: Creating Artistic Presence (Avoid These Traps)

Update: 2025-05-12

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This is The Forty Forth Episode of the Visual Scholar Podcast - With Tim Mcburnie.

Artists who build successful careers aren't just talented - they've developed a clear, consistent presence that makes their work instantly recognizable.

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In this episode, I explore the concept of "presence" - how successful artists develop a recognizable identity that makes their work instantly identifiable and shareable. While artists naturally love experimenting with different styles and mediums, building a successful career often means finding your unique signal and consistently amplifying it over time.

Creating presence means developing a clear artistic "character" that people can easily describe to others - "this artist does this type of work and is known for this specific thing." It's about making yourself easily recognizable and understood in a crowded marketplace. This doesn't mean you can't evolve, but the consistency helps people connect with your work more deeply and remember you.

I share my own journey of flip-flopping between styles and how my career gained momentum when I finally committed to a consistent direction. Building presence is a long game - it might take 3-7 years to see significant results - but the payoff is that your career starts rolling downhill like a snowball rather than feeling like you're pushing a boulder uphill. Successful presence comes from clarity and strategic repetition, making it easier for people to discover, connect with, and share your work. — 00:00 Intro 02:11 Welcome 03:27 Presence & Impact Framework Recap 15:03 Why We Avoid Building A Presence 23:31 What Does A Successful Presence Mean? 39:03 Play The Long Game: Presence Takes Time 52:12 The Analtical Takeaway 53:33 The Simple Takeaway 53:57 The Practical Takeaway 55:17 The Philosophical Takeaway 59:12 Out —

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The Visual Scholar Podcast is designed to help you demystify the world of Art, Productivity, and Creativity. So you can get better faster, and enjoy your Art Journey.

We discuss Drawing, Painting, Illustration and Entertainment Design. Along with Productivity and Career Advice.

You Can Find The Visual Scholar Podcast In These Places:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-visual-scholar/id1678505411

Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6VbdwbiZqy8nqb90ruKQCX?si=21b9c1d02c85419f

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MightyArtisan

Show Homepage:

https://visualscholar.mightyartisan.com

Where To Find More About Tim Mcburnie:

Learn Drawing and Illustration at The Drawing Codex:

www.thedrawingcodex.com

Take Your Career and Productivity To The Next Level:

www.mightyartisan.com