Main Character Energy: How you can use it as an artist or writer

As creatives, we face the constant need for an effective strategy for sharing our work online. I thought about ‘main character syndrome’ and I believe that the ‘energy’ might offer useful principles for building brand recognition.

Have you ever heard the term ‘main character energy‘? It’s one way to describe charisma or chutzpah. Main character energy is a combination of bravery, confidence, and attention-seeking. You need the right amount to get people to listen to you. Unfortunately, many creative people are anxious and introverted, so in the spotlight, they can become overwhelmed quite quickly.

You know that someone is doing too much self-promotion when you get exhausted from seeing their name or avatar in your news feeds. When you become oversaturated, you’re now looking at ‘main character syndrome‘. You’ll see it with celebrities who pay click farms to keep their names trending on social media. And, you’ll also see them on podcasts whining about the toxic parasocial relationships caused by that very same overexposure they engineered. In other words, if posting to social media gives you a hit of dopamine, or you feel compelled to hit the ‘post’ button every ten minutes, you are no longer doing business.

The ‘look at me’ problem

Apart from famous people whose thirst for attention becomes toxic, we can easily think of everyday people with main character syndrome. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “main character syndrome is defined by a series of behaviors in which you see yourself as the main character in the story of your life. You are the protagonist and everyone else is often a sidekick or a villain.” One example that springs to mind is the mother-in-law who insisted on wearing her wedding dress to her son’s wedding.

Oversaturation, in my opinion, works best for objects or dead people. I’m thinking of the Mona Lisa or the Palace of Versailles. Or historical figures like Elizabeth I or Nelson Mandela. We recognise them from iconic images representing them at the height of their fame. For living individuals, icon status is difficult to attain because authenticity is a vital part of an artist’s brand management strategy. In spite of this, to remain relevant, many famous people do bizarre things so we can stare at them.

They also spend lots of money on social media teams who come up with bizarre audience engagement strategies. They hire stylists and pay to be featured in mainstream publications. Their shortcuts might not work for you, however. And if you try to copy them by saturating your social media timelines with posts, your tactics will backfire.

Visibility with intention is a better alternative. The idea is to see yourself as a storyteller. This will make it easy for you to set clear goals for showcasing your creative work. You want to tell a story that your audience finds interesting or entertaining.

With this idea in mind, let me share with you some ways you can build up your brand identity. Read on and find out how you can “overexpose” your creative work using main character energy.

Objectify yourself

Develop a unique symbol or logo associated with your creative persona. This icon can serve as a consistent visual element across digital platforms, making your brand instantly recognisable. Create several personas and icons for each. Cycle through these as needed.

Establish a signature style that becomes synonymous with your brand. Whether it’s a specific tone, colour palette, or choice of themes, a distinctive creative style will help people to recognise your work easily.

Cultivate a mythos around yourself. Tell stories, show behind-the-scenes videos or photos, or share unique rituals associated with your creative process. Adding layers to your persona gives your work more staying power. Further, create an enigmatic online persona by carefully selecting what aspects of your life and work to share. Keep an air of mystery around your creative process and personal life. Curiosity adds to the allure of your work.

Collaborate with yourself. If you’re a writer, consider using illustrations, graphics, or video clips to showcase your work. If you’re a fine artist, find a story or poem that matches your artwork so your audience can connect with it more closely. With this technique you externalise your brand with fresh, visually appealing iterations of your work.

Release limited edition or special versions of your work. You could create a video trailer or slideshow for your artwork or writing. Or you could do a voiceover narration on one specific platform. Thereafter, images with excerpts go on your blog. Limiting styles to different platforms adds a feeling of rarity to your creative work. It also encourages discovery across platforms. This in turn enhances the perceived value of your work.

Outro: Self-reflection and goal-setting

When you promote your creative work online, main character energy is what you’ll tap into. In other words, you are making your creative work the main character in your brand story. This makes it easier for you to reinvent yourself without oversaturating your broadcast channels. It’s possible to regularly showcase your work while maintaining a sense of exclusivity and originality.

However, before starting each campaign, you’ll need to set clear goals for your online presence. Bear in mind your values and the impact you want to make with your creative work. Elevate your presentations with distinctive symbols, a signature style, and timeless themes. Your creative journey is unique, so let your story unfold authentically and your audience will embrace you.