i have been working (for an embarrassingly long time) on putting together a new website and i am struggling with how exactly to present myself this time around. there are MANY things i enjoy doing, which i feel i am skilled enough at to include in my professional activities. some fit easily into the current image you might draw of me from my Etsy shop, others are a little further out there. i want to maintain a consistent identity/style/brand, throughout my various works, but i vacillate between wanting to make sure you know EVERYTHING i can do, and worrying you'll think i don't excel at anything in particular.
i often summarize what i do as "design & illustration" but i feel that ultimately, that is too narrow a definition. "artist" is such a broad term, without some catchy slogan or subtitle to give more clues. while i spend the most time on drawings, prints, and paper goods right now, in the long run, i don't feel like i have to give up my other pursuits to get ahead with just a few things.
how much information is too much? can you suggest any examples of online portfolios that cover a wide range of media or skills without just looking like a hot mess? besides, say, Oprah or Martha Stewart, whose far-reaching empires get your attention through multiple outlets? you out there, doer of many things, how do you brand yourself? if you work in the arts but have other talents, do you have multiple business personalities known to different groups? do you separate the fine art from the craft bits? how do you showcase all your talents to an audience who might have only heard of you from one type of your work? is there a limited range to your professional/commercial work and the other things are relegated to fun or hobby?
please, discuss. talk amongst yourselves.
