Artist Identity Crisis

When I began “cosplaying” over a decade ago, everyone had a nickname or alternate persona they were known by. I struggled with what I wanted to be called. Most people I knew pulled from their favorite fandoms, but I suppose I didn’t love a particular thing enough to commit to it being my identify.

So I tried to think of themes I liked and maybe mix it with my name somehow? Well, my name’s Natalie and friends/family call me Nat. And I did love Indiana Jones movies growing up, so maybe something related to “archaic” artifacts? And hence, NatArchaic was born.

But as I chatted with a co-worker a few nights ago about all of this and how I got here, I realized I just wanted to be myself. Plus, my art and style has changed drastically over the past several years. Much of my identity is my love of sewing and making costumes. I used to hide it all from friends/family because I was worried about what they might think. But slowly with time, everyone was incredibly supportive as they found out.

So now I’m embarking on a new adventure–rebranding my work to be more myself. And it starts with this blog, and starting an online portfolio.

Has anyone else ever felt a disconnect between their brand and their art?