You know how when you're into dark aesthetics, gothic vibes, or just alternative style in general, you have this deep need to see your personality reflected in everything around you?

Want to know what's even worse? Many times this cookie-cutter style doesn't even connect with their audience either. 

They just went with it because it's what everyone else was doing. And I totally get why – when you're feeling insecure (hello, early business days!), it feels safer to follow the crowd. If there are ten other salons doing the same minimal, beige thing and it seems to be working for them, you can't really go wrong... right?
‍
‍WRONG.

‍Here's the truth: I don't believe it's possible to completely disconnect yourself from your brand. I've seen SO many business owners who are absolutely CRUSHING IT sales-wise but still feel deeply insecure because their brand just doesn't feel like them. There *needs* to be some overlap between your personal style and your brand identity for things to feel right.

‍At the same time, I totally get why it's hard for people to feel safe doing this kind of style in their brand. How many times have we seen dark aesthetics looking CHEESY AS FUCK somewhere because they were poorly executed, right? This is not an easy style to design with at all and it has a lot of potential to look bad:

• It has a lot of personality
• It usually leans towards maximalism (which poorly done = chaos)
• It also usually leans on antique styles which are quite difficult to adapt for modern businesses
• And then on top of that you have everybody's collective memory ready to associate it with Halloween and freaking PARTY CITY

All the odds are against you.

And people have the nerve to say that minimalistic design is difficult to do. Insert a string of 20 laughing emojis here.

‍Here's the thing: if you're trying to DIY this and it's not working, it's NOT your fault. Having access to Canva doesn't make someone a designer, just like owning a toolkit doesn't make someone a bricklayer. There's a reason designers study for years to master these skills.

‍And If you're feeling disconnected from your brand right now, you are NOT alone - all my clients started in the same place you are right now. It's perfectly normal to feel nervous about implementing dark aesthetics when your audience might not share your style.

But here's what I've learned after years of doing this: it's *absolutely* possible to create a brand that honors your dark soul while still attracting your dream clients.

At my studio, we've made it our superpower to find that sweet spot – creating brands that perfectly balance our clients' alternative aesthetics with what their audience needs to see to buy from them. The result? Brands that not only feel authentic to you but actually attract your ideal clients because they were designed with BOTH of you in mind.

After all, your brand should do more than just look pretty – it should work for your business and help you make money. But it should also feel like home when you look at it.

Ready to ditch the identity crisis and create a brand that actually feels like YOU? Let's talk about bringing your vision to life.