WHAT'S YOUR 'LOOK?'

Having a defined ‘look’ helps you get across what you’re about to others.
This is especially true for a creative person, who at all times, must be
a representative for their art. As a performer, I’ve had to accept the
importance of image in relation to my voice, and start to ‘craft’ a defined
look that works for me, and treat it as seriously as crafting a record, or
putting a live show together.

…This does not just stop at fashion → For example - I LOVE, nay, lluurrve
to watch America’s Next Top Model . TYRA BANKS is NO JOKE! You never know
how hard that shit Tyra is saying to the models is until you actually try
to APPLY to YOURSELF. Things like ‘smizing’ (smiling with your eyes)
and posing H-2-T (Head 2 Toe), is no walk in the park, and requires
hours in front of the mirror practicing. This is also essential in crafting
a ‘look’ - it does not just apply to models. If you’re a true performer, you
know that in addition to singing and delivering your songs, you’re also
striking poses - not only onstage, but also in front of the camera (photos,
videos), in the recording studio (vocal style), and during interviews.

So – how do you want other people to see you? How do you put a look
together that you can maintain without needing a million dollars and stylists
everywhere you go. Here’s what I’ve been learning to do:

Look through magazines – grab certain looks, hairstyles, and poses you
think are fierce and relate to what you’re doing. Spin and combine parts of
them to make it your own – and ROCK IT with confidence.

You don’t have to go on a shopping blitz and max out all your credit cards.
Pick up a piece here and a piece there, and slowly start to incorporate
them into your onstage act, and even your everyday life. Be smart about
what accessories you’re choosing. Start piecing together different outfits
that you can wear both onstage and offstage.

Practice in front of a mirror! Before bed, I have a routine to practice poses,
and ‘smizing’ (smiling with your eyes, as Tyra calls it) in front of the mirror.
Again, pick poses from artists and/or models in magazines and actually
try them in front of a mirror. Play around to make them your own, and be
creative!

Don’t leave the house without putting some thought into how you look. If
you’re a singer, you are representing yourself all-the-time. You never know
whom you’ll bump into, even at the grocery store. If, for example, a fan (or
potential fan) sees you looking bummy on the street after having seen your
live show, the fantasy and their respect for you will be lost.

Case in point, Miss Spears....


.....ouch.

In terms of embarrassing pictures of me and half-assed looks --> there is a lot in my past, on which i shall pass, but there'll be a lot fewer in my future.



Utilize having a look as a way to further communicate what you represent
as an artist.

Take a ‘look’;) at this article, from onstage success guru, Tom Jackson.
He talks about the importance of having a 'look' and warns that if your
music and 'look' don't go together, it could hurt your chances for success:
http://onstagesuccess.com/2010/06/what-does-your-look-say-about-you/

I highly recommend book marking Tom Jackson’s website. It is chalk FULL
of good tips on how to be a better performer.