How Participating in Lettering Challenges Can Help Find Your Style
Sep 28, 2023
At the July Typism Summit 2023, Gold Coast lettering artist Aurelie Maron shared how participating in lettering challenges transformed her career and grew her business.
Afterwards, we interviewed Aurelie in a Q+A session and discussed the power of committing to personal projects and their potential to impact your creativity, style, and brand.
Q: How did participating in lettering challenges influence your creative process and contribute to the evolution of your style?
Participating in lettering challenges, particularly my first one, 36 Days of Type, in 2020, profoundly impacted my creative journey.
Back then, I had plenty of time on my hands during lockdown and decided to use it to improve my lettering skills and experiment with new ideas. I also saw it as an opportunity to become more active on social media. Little did I know it would be a game-changer.
As I progressed through the challenge, I started receiving feedback from people curious about my tools and techniques. This feedback sparked the idea of creating my first toolkit of brushes for Procreate. It was a pivotal moment because it improved my skills and laid the foundation for my products and business growth.
What’s fascinating is that, at the time, I didn’t consciously set out to find my style. It wasn’t like I said, “I’m going to do this challenge to discover my style.” It happened organically as I continued to practice and share my work.
I started noticing that people could recognise my work, my style, even though I hadn’t intentionally crafted it. So, these challenges helped me develop my unique style without actively seeking it.
Q: Can you share an example of how the feedback from your audience during a challenge influenced a specific product or project that you developed later?
One of the most exciting aspects of participating in lettering challenges is your audience’s immediate feedback and engagement.
I vividly remember a challenge where I decided to design letters inspired by famous movies. I would unveil a new movie-themed letter daily, and my audience became highly engaged. People started guessing which movie I would choose next, and there was a palpable sense of anticipation.
The feedback was invaluable; I received questions about the techniques I used, the brushes, and even requests for tutorials. This interaction showed me the potential to turn this into something more.
During this challenge, I decided to create products related to the movie-themed letters. The feedback and enthusiasm from my audience influenced this decision significantly. They guided me towards developing products that catered to their interests. This experience taught me the importance of listening to your audience and how their input can shape your business decisions.
Q: You emphasised setting constraints and creating a creative brief before starting a lettering challenge. Can you explain how these restrictions helped you and offer advice on how aspiring lettering artists can create effective creative briefs?
Constraints and creative briefs are fundamental to successful lettering challenges. This may seem counterintuitive, but limitations often lead to more creativity.
For instance, let’s talk about constraints. It can be overwhelming when faced with a blank canvas and endless possibilities. However, setting constraints, such as using a specific colour palette, style, or theme, simplifies your decision-making process. It narrows your choices and encourages you to think outside the box within those limitations.
I often find that limitations equal freedom because they force you to work with what you have, and in doing so, you discover new techniques and ideas. When restrictions do not confine you, you might find it challenging to get started because the possibilities are endless.
As for writing effective creative briefs, I advise aspiring lettering artists to start with what they’re passionate about. Choose subjects, themes, or styles that resonate with you. Your brief should reflect your interests and preferences because that authenticity will shine through in your work.
Additionally, consider the interests of your target audience, as this will help you create content that resonates with them.
Your creative brief is like a roadmap; it guides your journey during the challenge. It’s a tool to keep you focused and ensure your work remains cohesive. Embrace constraints and design creative briefs that align with your passions, and you’ll find they are powerful tools to enhance your creativity.
Key Takeaways
Participate in Lettering Challenges:
- Engage in lettering challenges to help you develop your skills and style.
- Use these challenges as opportunities to showcase your work on social media.
Embrace Audience Feedback:
- Value your audience feedback during challenges, as these can lead to new product ideas.
- Pay attention to your audience’s interests and use their input to shape your work.
Utilise Constraints and Creative Briefs:
- Set constraints like colour palettes or themes to simplify your decision-making.
- Craft creative briefs that align with your passions and resonate with your target audience.
- Treat your creative brief as a roadmap to maintain focus and coherence throughout the challenge.
Quote by Aurelie Maron, graphic by Ferlix Christian CampuganWe hope Aurelie’s experience with lettering challenges will motivate you to participate in one soon to help refine your skills and discover your style.
Remember to embrace constraints and write a creative brief to guide you before you start.
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