Everything is about branding now a days. We must brand ourselves on every single aspect of our lives to the point where we become the brand: the brand of self.  This is always an interesting concept for me, as we use social media to market what we are like, we are desperate to find individuals who are authentic in the digital realm.  It’s a struggle. You want to have a great aesthetic, but you also want to be true to yourself.

For instance, when I think about branding myself, I have a hard time, visually.  It’s important for any brand to have a cohesive look a feel to what they’re trying to *sell* whether that be information or a physical product.  For myself, as someone who dwells in the world of cognitive capitalism, photography, lifestyle, consulting, animal activism, eco feminism…(the list goes on and on and on) I have the hardest time with this.  My aesthetic can not be unified for I am not a one track mind kind of girl.  I like to joke and say that i’m 1/2 pink and bubbly & 1/2 dark and moody.  These two aesthetics can not, and will not work together.  (at least, I haven’t found a way to do this yet, if you have any examples of this, let me know below).

So what I chose for @ladyhungerhurst was my pink and bubbly side. I enjoy those images and they allow me to share personal moments with my pals on instagram.  Also–my dark and moody comes from my intense melancholy, which, if we’re friends IRL you know is fucking exhausting. So I made a personal instagram that you can find here at @imthetori

What I found helpful when doing the branding steps for @ladyhungerhurst was to mood board.  I can not stress enough how amazing and awesome mood boards are to get your creative juices flowing.

mood board

noun

plural noun: mood boards

1. an arrangement of images, materials, pieces of text, etc., intended to evoke or project a particular style or concept.

   “we put together a mood board with key images and words that best convey the essence of the brand”

There are all kinds of ways to do these. I have one that hangs in my office that is static for a couple months before changing.  I also have mood boards that remind me of certain people I look up to, sentiments I hold on to, whatever it may be.

For my own personal growth, I find mood boards really therapeutic, especially since I am a photographer I think in still and moving images. Pictures. Visuals. Ya know. Like most of ya out there.

There are no wrong or right ways to mood board.  Everyone has their own techniques, here is some tips and tricks from me, LadyHungerhurst.

I Try To Work Outside the Digital

I like to try and use non digital things as much as possible. This means, i’ll collect pictures/quotes from magazines, pictures, textures, plants, whatever feels right. I like feeling the paper beneath my fingers, hearing the tear, the tactile experience helps me fine tune my visual processes at times.  Also, yay! I get to touch things.

This also means I can bring in plants, and pine cones, things that I find on my hikes in the forest.  Whatever speaks to me and calls out to me to bring me home.

I Can’t Stick to one organizational method

I personally like collage and overlapping images to get my design point across. On a Tuesday, however, I’ll like super clean minimalist mood boards with so much structure it’d make the deconstructed movement quiver in their boots.  My advice is don’t feel like you have to stick to one “layout” of the moodboard forever, either. Make many mood boards with different types of layouts. Step outside your comfort zone and perhaps you’ll find your mood then.

Here are some that inspire me.

I really love the moodboard work of Breanna Rose.  I think she is a great resource and point of inspiration for digital moodboards.

Here is a full sized moodboard over at apartment therapy. 

Remember: Honor Your Creative Voice.

It can often be difficult to figure out what should stay and what should go.  I always follow my gut–whatever feels right.  I use moodboards as a way to just put up all my visual clutter, and then over time slowly pull out the things that don’t look right until it feels right. If you honor yourself and your creative voice, you will know when it makes sense to your curatorial spirit.

Make More Than One

Make a couple mood boards for your design.  Then you can get input from other people and decide what will be the aesthetic inspiration point for your brand, design project, whatever.  I have really good girl and guy friends who I know I can trust their honest feedback.  I know that they have my best interest in heart because they value me as a person and want me to succeed. So anytime I am stuck, I reach out to them and they help guide me in the right direction.

They don’t have to be about design, sometimes they can be about honoring your soul.

I often make mood boards to hone in inspiration, and to have visual shrines around me at all times. Which, I think, just brings in the positive vibes man. (Can You tell I was raised in Los Angeles?). I’ll make mood boards to visualize a memory, to visualize a goal, to visualize the moments and people who are most important to me, so that I can have their guidance, sort to speak. They can be a great way to situate yourself visually this way.

Alright enough reading! Go Out and Get your hands dirty!

Remember! If you post your moodboard on instagram, I want to see it! Tag me @ladyhungerhurst in your design & make sure you hashtag #HausofHungerhurst! I’d love to see what you come up with.