Would you let yourself in?

Last Sunday I went to the Leigh Bowery exhibition at the Tate Modern in London.

A performance artist, fashion designer, and all round creative genius, Bowery was an iconic larger-than-life figure who featured in ballets, on catwalks, and was often called ‘Modern art on legs’. He was very much part of the London and New York art scene.

Bowery hated being ‘labelled’ and yet his brand was uniquely his own. His club, Taboo, was notoriously difficult to get into, because only the most outrageous creatively dressed people were allowed in.

As a wide eyed teen I landed in this world from the ‘burbs and it blew my mind.

Photographers like Nick Knight and Fergus Greer, and magazines like The Face and ID were all collaborators in this this creative rebellion which informed my interest in self-expression, something I continue to look for in photographers because creative people, even today, have a responsibility to help brands stand out.

If you want to get ‘in the door’ and be seen and hired by the top most awarded creatives in the world, you’ll need to embrace and share your own creative uniqueness, especially now.

Make sure your online presence is uniquely yours and not trying to be like everyone else.

Make personal work that has something to say- a different perspective or unique edge.

And understand that your audience does not appreciate you pleading to be let in- they’re looking for confident collaborators who are passionate about their craft regardless.

At Taboo, the doorman Marc Vaultier would bitchily hold up a mirror to the rejected clubbers and say,

‘Would you let you in?’

Look at your brand and consider that. Would you let you in?