Creative Business, Creative Clarity Series
Published on June 9, 2025

The Creative Journey, Part 8: The Power of Finding Your Unique Voice

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3097 words // 16min read time

Hello, lovely crafter! Today, I’m releasing Part 8 of 12 of the Creative Journey Series. I am so proud of this series, as it’s a deep dive into the life cycle of the creative art experience. I hope you will read the tips and insights, and decide where you are in the journey, gleaning any help that you can to guide you through to the next step. Head to the main page if you’re just jumping in and you want to start from the top. Enjoy!

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[Crochet Pattern Shown: The Colour Lab Blanket]

3 Phases: Intro and Quick Links

The Creative Journey Series has an over-arching theme of 3 phases, each one with 4 parts, making the whole 12-part series. Here’s a quick overview again of the 3 phases, just so you know where you are in the journey. I’ll be adding this intro reminder at the top of each part through the series and hyperlinking Parts 1-12 as I go.

Phase 1, Imitation and Inspiration: Steps 1-4 are a deeper dive into Phase 1 of the Creative Journey. You can read more in my series post Creative Clarity, Episode 2: Phase 1 of the Artist’s Journey and a Deep Dive into the Realm of Copying

Phase 2, Innovation and Identity: Steps 5-8 break down Phase 2 of the journey, which is the topic of Creative Clarity, Episode 3: Phase 2 of the Artist’s Journey and How to Beat Creative Burnout

Phase 3, Integration and Ascension: Steps 9-12 will be a dive into Phase 3 of the journey, but this episode of Creative Clarity has not yet been released. I will be sure to release that episode before we begin Step 9.

  • Part 9: Sustaining Your Style
  • Part 10: Cross-Pollinate through Fusion and Play
  • Part 11: Staying True Despite Style Challenges
  • Part 12: Artistic Evolution – Never Stop Growing

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Part 8: The Power of Finding Your Unique Voice

You’ve moved through imitation and now you’re experimenting. You’ve hit walls, made messes, and maybe even burned out. But somewhere in the quiet that followed, something new emerged: A voice that no longer needs to shout.

This is the moment when your creative work starts to feel less reactive and more rooted. This is the quiet power of your voice, and in many ways, it’s the bridge between the deepening and the expansion and ascension to come.

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What Is an Artistic Voice and Why Is It So Hard to Find?

Your artistic voice is the distinctive combination of style, subject, tone, philosophy, and intention that makes your work recognizably yours. It’s shaped by your influences, values, identity, worldview, and lived experiences. It’s not about trying to be original for the sake of being different. It’s about authenticity, not novelty.

Think of it this way: Style is how you say something. Voice is what you’re saying and why.

Why Is It So Hard to Find?

  • Overexposure to Others: Social media floods you with polished work by others, making you doubt your instincts or chase trends.
  • Perfectionism: Fear of “getting it wrong” prevents experimentation, which is essential to voice development.
  • Imposter Syndrome: You might believe others have a voice and you’re faking it, but they likely felt that too.

“Style is a very simple matter; it is all rhythm. Once you get that, you can’t use the wrong words.” – Truman Capote

When You Stop Forcing It, Your Voice Gets Louder

Creative voice isn’t found by pushing. It’s revealed when you stop trying so hard to prove yourself.

By this point in the journey, you’ve likely tried lots of things:

  • You’ve mimicked and remixed
  • You’ve pushed through burnout or doubt
  • You’ve created things you hated, and a few things that surprised you

And now, you’re starting to see a thread that ties your work together. You’re not asking “Is this good?” as much as you’re asking, “Is this mine?” When you create without force, your work starts to speak in your natural voice, not your performative one.

Finding your voice as an artist is a personal journey that involves self-discovery, experimentation, and continuous exploration. It’s about understanding what you want to say through your art and finding ways to express it authentically. 

Self-Reflection and Understanding:

  • Know yourself deeply: Reflect on your values, passions, and what matters to you. 
  • Identify recurring themes: Pay attention to patterns and recurring images in your life and work. 
  • Be self-aware: Understand your strengths and weaknesses, and what excites and motivates you. 

Experimentation and Practice:

  • Explore different mediums: Try various art forms to see what resonates with you. 
  • Practice consistently: Regularly create, even if it’s just daily sketches or short pieces. 
  • Don’t be afraid to fail: Experimentation is key to finding your unique style. 

Artists Speak

“The voice already exists within you. The process is one of remembering rather than creating.” – Rick Rubin, The Creative Act

Rubin emphasizes subtraction over addition, in other words, finding your voice isn’t about adding more influence, it’s about removing what doesn’t belong to you.

“Before you can think out of the box, you have to start with a box.” – Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit

She recommends discipline, routine, and imitation as scaffolding for discovery. You don’t get your voice in a vacuum, you earn it through doing.

“Tell your own story, and you will be interesting.” – Louise Bourgeois

Voice comes from what matters to you. This could be your fears, longings, contradictions, symbols. The more honest your work is, the more powerful it becomes.

“You can’t sit around and wait for somebody to say who you are. You need to write it and paint it and do it.” – Faith Ringgold

A declaration: voice is reclaimed power. Don’t ask for permission to speak in your own language.

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Finding A Unique and Strong Voice

We often equate strong creative voices with bold visuals, radical statements, or instantly recognizable styles. But the truth is, voice is not always dramatic. Sometimes it’s subtle, and grounded. Your voice might not be the loudest, but it might be the most consistent. You may not be making your most “ambitious” work yet. But you are making your most authentic work.

You know you’ve reached this stage when:

  • You no longer chase trends
  • You stop second-guessing your aesthetic choices
  • You know when to pause, tweak, or walk away
  • You trust the difference between intentional and accidental

Some Tips to Consider

  • Look for inspiration, but don’t copy: Draw inspiration from others, but layer it into your own style. 
  • Focus on building skills: Practice and refine your skills in your chosen mediums. 
  • Ignore fads and trends: Focus on creating art that feels authentic and meaningful to you. 
  • Be patient: Finding your voice is a process, not an instant transformation. 
  • Seek feedback: Share your work and get constructive criticism from others. 
  • Keep learning and growing: Continue to explore new techniques, ideas, and inspiration. 
  • Write morning pages: Use a journal to free-write your thoughts and feelings. 
  • Face your past: Exploring difficult experiences can lead to powerful and authentic art. 
  • Give yourself permission: Allow yourself to be creative and experiment without fear of judgment. 
  • Focus on what you want to say: Let your curiosity and passion guide your artistic voice. 

By embracing these practices and remaining open to the journey, you can discover and develop your unique artistic voice. 

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You Have to Make a Lot of Work

And this is just the plain truth. I’ve said it plenty of times in this series, of all of your body of work, like 10% is the really good stuff.  

Make a Lot of Work: Your voice emerges through volume. Trends appear across your work when you’ve made enough to see the patterns. Tip: Set a challenge: 100 small pieces in 100 days.

Track What You Return To: What colors, themes, shapes, subjects, or stories do you keep coming back to? These are major clues! Try this: Keep a “Creative Patterns” log.

Steal with Awareness: Imitate intentionally. Learn from others, then remix and reinvent. “If you steal from one author it’s plagiarism; if you steal from many it’s research.” – Wilson Mizner

Let Your Life In: Your artistic voice is inextricably tied to your lived experience. This includes joy, trauma, identity, relationships, history, culture. Prompt: What’s a story only you can tell?

Limit Yourself to Discover More: Paradoxically, restriction breeds originality. Limiting materials, color palettes, formats, or subject matter can force creative breakthroughs. Try this: Create an entire series using only 2 tools or mediums.

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Repetition Is Refining

When you start repeating yourself creatively, it can feel like you’re stuck. You may wonder, Am I running out of ideas? Shouldn’t I be moving forward? But repetition is not regression. It’s how clarity emerges.

The quiet power of your voice often shows up through consistent decisions – the things you reach for over and over without thinking. This can be boring stuff, but often its just about the repetition and seeing what sticks.

This is the moment when:

  • Your color palette settles into its groove
  • Your motifs start to carry meaning
  • You begin to refine, not just experiment

Keith Haring embraced repetition not because he lacked ideas, but because he wanted his message to be clear, accessible, and unmistakable. His use of recurring icons (like the radiant baby, the barking dog) helped build a visual language, one line at a time. He didn’t fear being known for a style. He committed to it. And that commitment gave his work power.

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Recognizing Your Voice Without Needing to Define It

When you create from your own artistic voice, you’re making things that resonate, not just because of how they look. The work carries your fingerprint. People may not know why they feel something, but they do. It cuts through noise because it’s coming from somewhere true. When you find your voice, people start to recognize you even before they see that you’re the artist.

You don’t have to perfectly describe your voice for it to be real. You just need to notice what feels right.

Sometimes it’s in:

  • A rhythm you return to
  • A shape or structure you favor
  • A color story you can’t stay away from
  • A message that keeps resurfacing, even when unspoken

If you’re noticing alignment, ease, or quiet certainty in your practice, you’re already in the presence of your voice.

Reflect Along the Way

Keep a creative journal or voice-finding workbook. Ask:

  • What excited me about this piece?
  • What felt off?
  • Who influenced this work?
  • Does it feel like me?

Seek Selective Feedback: Look for patterns in how others describe your work, but avoid shapeshifting to please everyone. “Your work feels like…” – collect these responses for insight.

Don’t Rush It: Voice merges in layers. You don’t “find it”, you grow into it.

A Voice-Finding Checklist

  • Make something every day or week
  • Imitate a favorite artist or two, and then diverge
  • Name your personal themes and symbols
  • Create a “Me vs Not Me” style mood board
  • Ask: Does this feel true or performative?
  • Create a series on one subject from 10 angles
  • Journal: What matters to me outside of art?
  • Review your last 10 pieces and see what they say

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Let Your Work Speak for Itself

Self-reflection is key to uncovering your unique artistic identity. No one has experienced life in the exact same way as you. Your personal experiences and perspectives are what set you apart.

Voice roots your work in values. It’s the difference between producing and expressing. Once you know what matters to you, you stop making work to impress and start making work that’s aligned. The process becomes sustainable and even sacred. David Whyte calls it “the truth at the center of the image.”

As Audre Lorde said: “When we speak, we are afraid our words will not be heard. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.”

Paradoxically, the more personal your voice becomes, the more it connects with others. Audiences are moved by truth. Your voice says: “Here’s how I see the world. Does this ring true for you?” And often, the answer is yes.

It Makes the Work Worth Doing

Styles evolve. Mediums shift. Trends come and go. But when you’ve found your voice, you’re anchored in something deeper. You can grow, experiment, and reinvent without feeling like you’re starting over, because the through line is you.

The process becomes more meaningful. The creative struggle no longer feels empty as it becomes an act of self-discovery. James Baldwin wrote: “The artist is distinguished by the fact that he is his own test subject.”

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When You Have a False Start or Feel Insecure

If you’re stuck, you can try a different medium. Sometimes switching tools can trick your brain into fresh thinking. You can give yourself a deadline. Too much time = paralysis. Also try making “bad” art on purpose. This removes the pressure to impress and lets your weirdness shine.

A false start often happens when you try to force a voice, style, or project that doesn’t quite fit. That discomfort? This is a sign of awareness. You’re hearing the difference between what’s true and what’s performative. The only true “mistake” is to ignore that inner discomfort and keep pushing something that feels false.

Insecurity Means You Care

If you didn’t care about your work, you wouldn’t feel insecure. That anxious voice in your head is proof that you want the work to mean something. “Self-doubt is part of the creative process. It’s what you do after it shows up that matters.” – Tara Mohr

Tips for When You’re Struggling

Make Something “Wrong” On Purpose

Try creating a piece that breaks all your personal rules. Make something ugly, off-brand, confusing, or chaotic. Let yourself be free of outcome. You may surprise yourself, or at the very least, loosen your grip on perfection. Prompt: “What would I make if I knew it would never be seen?”

Keep a “Creative Debrief” Log

At the end of each session, write one sentence each:

  • What felt good?
  • What felt fake?
  • What would I try again?

This log builds self-trust by reminding you that you’re the one steering.

Revisit Work You Abandoned

Sometimes what felt like a false start was simply ahead of its time. Go back to your unfinished drafts, abandoned sketches, or discarded patterns. Look with fresh eyes. You may find a fragment that still feels alive. 

Zoom Out

Remind yourself: voice is revealed over time. You’re not supposed to have it all figured out in a week, or even a year. Think in seasons, not snapshots. What you’re doing now is laying groundwork, not writing your final chapter.

Talk to Yourself Like a Mentor

If your inner voice is just a bully, you’ll burn out. Instead, talk to yourself like you would a student you love:

  • “This is part of the process.”
  • “You’re experimenting, not failing.”
  • “I’m proud of you for showing up.”

Voice-finding requires self-compassion, not self-erasure.

Create a ‘Not Me’ List

Sometimes clarity comes not from what you want to do, but what you don’t. Make a list of voices, styles, or topics that don’t feel like you, even if they’re “good.” This helps sharpen your sense of direction.

Find Anchor Points

When you feel wobbly, return to basics:

  • Why did you start making art?
  • What kind of art did you make as a child?
  • What’s a story or color or sound that always draws you in?

“You’re allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress at the same time.” – Sophia Bush

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Creative Voices to Follow

These artists and writers speak directly to this part of the journey. When choosing inspiration artists, if you’re feeling unsure of your ability, ask yourself what you would do if fear was eliminated from the equation.

  • Keith Haring – Used repetition and clarity to build trust in his own voice, even with working fast, loud, and in the public eye.
  • Corita Kent – Blended art, protest, and typography into simple but powerfully consistent language.
  • Anni Albers – Found her voice in thread, pattern, and structure.
  • Baye and Asa – A dance dup who let their movement speak without over explaining it.

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10 Prompts to Honor the Quiet Power of Your Voice

  1. What’s the one thing you don’t question anymore in your creative process?
  2. What decisions come easily to you?
  3. What do people always say about your work that makes you nod?
  4. What’s one color, shape, or rhythm that keeps coming back?
  5. What project felt the most like you, even if no one else loved it?
  6. What compliment did you receive that felt more like affirmation than surprise?
  7. When did you last make something that didn’t feel performative?
  8. What’s your default creative mode when no one is watching?
  9. How do you know when your voice is getting drowned out?
  10. How do you protect your quiet clarity in a loud, crowded world?

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Thank you for reading this part of the Creative Journey Series! Next Monday I’ll be releasing the full post of Creative Clarity Episode 4: Phase 3 of the Artist’s Journey and How to Beat Creative Burnout.

Hope you have a great week, and happy crafting!

Rachele C.

Order my crochet pattern book: The Art of Crochet Blankets

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