I’m just back from Venice, Italy…a family pilgrimage of sorts…and was lucky enough to visit the Peggy Guggenheim museum while there. (Envision a miniature Metropolitan Museum on the water.)

What struck me the most was the distinctness of each artist’s style. And though I’ve visited many museums in my life, that distinctness stood out more so here than at any other museum – at least for me…perhaps because 1. the collection is so manageable…there are only a handful of rooms  2. because there are only two or three pieces from each artist 3. because the pieces are some of each artist’s best work.

As I walked from room to room, I could silently say to myself, “Oh…there’s a _______” and “There’s a ________.”

Now, I’m far from an art connoisseur… I know a little, but I don’t know much. And yet I still could tell each artist—one from another.

So this made me think about presenters and executives; writers and singers; authors and architects; designers and  dancers — in short, anyone who is trying to express themselves—and how so often we fall into a pattern (myself included) of moving away from what makes us distinct and moving towards the trend of what others are doing that seems to be working.

Yes, there’s something to be learned from watching others in your field, but as I walked out of the Guggenheim, I resolved to get back to what makes my work distinct. In my case, it’s the performance, theater and movement skills…the language and the mix of art.

So…what is it for you? What is it that makes your work distinct? And how can you start to move back in that direction?

The fact is, not everyone will like your work, and that’s the risk we take. Quite frankly, I think it’s why we shy away from doing what makes us different. Someone won’t like it.  But if we don’t take that risk, we might as well be selling standard art in Piazza San Marco. You know what I mean.

And……..wouldn’t it be cool if someone saw-heard-read-experienced just 1 or 2 pieces of your work and could immediately declare, “Hey, now that’s a _________. I can tell from the style.”

Now, today or tomorrow, take 1 step in the direction of expressing yourself, putting out into the world your crazy unique self. Show us what you’re made of.