Portrait inspiration | Advice for artists | Kent Youngstrom | The School of Styling - A three-day hands-on workshop for creative entrepreneurs.  http://www.theschoolofstyling.com

Kent Youngstrom knows the power of being unique as an artist, an entrepreneur and a creative. Living in North Carolina with his family, he creates beautiful art and shares his talents generously. Today he shares with us Part I of his advice for how to make heads turn and no surprise, it’s great!

It’s 7:30 p.m. and I’m on the couch, flipping through Instagram photos like my thumb has been injected with Oxycontin. I glance through foodie magazines and, while visually impressive plus drool worthy, they all seem to land in the recycling bin. I’m assuming the bachelorette is kissing another dude and handing out more roses, someone is looking for a new house, or someone is naked and afraid. Or maybe someone is kissing someone looking for a new house but is naked and afraid. I’m not sure. I can’t keep it all straight. The flat screen remains off. 

So what am I looking for?

I’m desperately seeking for something to grab my attention.

It doesn’t even have to be Susan.

What I want, what I really really want is for something to reach out, grab me and pin me to the wall.

Something to make my thumb halt, maybe even reverse. Something more than just pretty. I need something to jump off the screen and into my repetitive thought system. I need a secret admirer, a mysterious fedex box, an exotic rendezvous.

Or really all I need is a simple surprise.

Something unexpected, a little out of the ordinary, something I don’t experience everyday.

Want to create a living or workspace that’ll leave you breathless?

Then approach it like an artist would.

Go for the . . . surprise.

Simple concept. Simple idea. Sometimes, simply hard to do.

If you want to create environment capable of volcanic eruptions of energy and frenzied moments of accomplishment while at the same time soothing to your soul, you have to surprise people. Not with obnoxious, over-the-top products, but with details that exceed expectations.

Just about everyone can turn heads in the right little black dress, but your space may need a little bit more color to stand out or perhaps the opposite is true.  

Your space can be so easy like Sunday morning that you fall crazy-stupid in love with it.

Matching is good. But not surprising.

Black and white is good. But not surprising.

Straight from a catalog is good. But not surprising.

Art above the fireplace is good, but not . . .

I think you get the point. 

Develop your own signature ways to peek curiosity and create lingering double takes.

As I advise those who want to be artists or makers for a living: do more for clients or potential clients than they expect. Do the same for your space.  

Do more than expected. It surprises people.

 

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