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Over time, creators develop a unique way of crafting texts which they find both enjoyable and effective—this becomes their style.
Over time, creators develop a unique way of crafting texts which they find both enjoyable and effective—this becomes their style.
Style - a creator's unique way of composing texts for an audience.
Introduction
Introduction
Each creator leaves a unique "fingerprint" in their work that we can identify.
Think of a creator whose work you enjoy. This could be a singer like Beyoncé, an author like Rick Riordan, or an Instagrammer like … actually I don't know any famous Instagrammers. Regardless, while each song, novel or post produced by such a creator is unique, they all bear a signature style which makes them familiar to audiences.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé
Consider the example of Beyoncé, a singer known for her wide range of musical influences, highly-choreographed dance routines, and lyrics which explore themes of women's rights and black culture.
Beyoncé's established style allows her to create texts which both satisfy fans (ensuring they continue to enjoy her music), and challenge audience preconceptions (allowing her to drive social change).
Beyonce performing in Montreal during The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. 2013. Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons.
Understanding Style
Understanding Style
As students of English, we can look for 'clues' about a composer's style. Once recognised, we can then analyse and evaluate how effectively a creator uses their style to engage audiences.
In addition, consider how you can develop your own style of creating texts over time. While this can be a subconscious process, we can also make careful and deliberate choices when developing our own unique creative style.
Editor's Notes
Editor's Notes
Style can also refer to artistic movements from specific contexts.
For example, from around 1800 to 1850 there was a popular art movement in Europe known as Romanticism which emerged as a reaction to the cold logic of the Enlightenment, and the dehumanising effects of the Industrial Revolution.
When studying texts from this era, we find a focus on individual human suffering and achievement, alongside a deep love of the natural, unspoiled world.
Artistic styles such as this emerge as a response to previous styles, which come to be seen as outdated and unfashionable. (Romanticism was ultimately followed by Realism.)
Imagine students of the future looking back on our own time—what will they make of the artistic styles that are popular now?
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