A few months ago another creative asked me “Why the name Tiny Giraffe?”
I said, “Oh that’s a fun story!” (I light up whenever someone asks me!)
I told him how my life changed when I visited San Francisco in 2010.
How I left my heart there. How I desperately wanted a momento for my wall and couldn’t find it. How it spurred me to create my own artworks of my favourite places. How I found a tiny yellow giraffe swizzle stick in a celebratory ‘last drink’ at the Hong Kong airport in 2013 - after another wonderful holiday - to inspire the name of my small business.
Mr G in Balmain East, Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background
He replied, “I don’t care. I don’t care about Tiny Giraffe or your story. You should only use your personal name. No one cares. And I wouldn’t buy your art prints because they say tiny giraffe on them.”
Ouch 💔 I was gutted. For a few hours I felt devastated and angry. I was mostly in shock that someone would be so unkind and insensitive when giving unsolicited advice to a stranger. I had a cry to my husband Jon, who gave me a big hug and a pep talk. Jon was actually the one to recommend I start putting ‘tiny giraffe’ on my prints and murals - he wanted me to credit my own work. It was an idea I wished I’d thought of - a signature of the artist who created them. A mark of authenticity.
In 2015 when building my website, I settled on the domain ‘.co’ because I always wanted Tiny Giraffe to feel like a community. A community of travel lovers, adventure seekers, everyday explorers. He doesn’t fit it.
In 2016, in the early days of selling my prints at local markets, I had a sweet man beg me to sign his purchased artwork in red pen. I was hesitant but he wanted it bold and prominent. I signed it as ‘Kylie Harber’ - he’s the only one in the world with that.
In 2018 I met Jon and that’s when I started added my ‘tinygiraffe.co’ onto my prints. I will sometimes sign my actual name on original / commissioned pieces. I put ‘tiny giraffe’ on my murals too - in places where it doesn’t detract from the artwork or compete with the client’s branding. Recognition (in any name) is deserved.
You know what?
I love my brand. I love my brand story.
It is my powerful ‘why’ that drives me every single day, to create from the heart. To make things for people who, just like me, couldn’t find an artwork of the place they love most. And it has grown beyond my wildest desires. I realised that this person who insulted me is not my customer. I wouldn’t want him to be.
You know what?
Others love my brand. Others love my brand story.
Having a brand story gives you something POWERFUL to lean on in your marketing and positioning. It gives context to the values you honour in yourself and your business. It gives you endless content ideas. And it pulls on the heart strings of clients and customers who want something special to believe in too.
I’ve had people request t-shirts with my logo, and requests for giraffe art prints. I had a potential client call me saying she loved my logo - it inspired her to click on my website.
My takeaway?
Keep being true to yourself. Always 💛🌻
Love,
Kylie
Journal Prompts For You:
What makes me unique - as a person and as an artist?
What stories do I have from my own life experience? What have I learnt?
What lights me up the most?
How can I share these things with the world?
What format and platform would feel most natural to share this? (ie written blog, YouTube video)