Trendspotting: how to use art trends while keeping your authentic vision

Ever wander through a home décor store and think: how many strawberry mugs and highland cow prints does the world really need? If so, you might have an aversion to trends — and I get it. As an artist, engaging with trends can feel superficial or like you've sold yourself out. That same feeling held me back for years, until I realized I could transform trends into creative fuel. In today's post, we're exploring the value of trends as an artist, the different categories, and how to deconstruct them into useful elements to weave into your authentic vision.

Exhibit A: cottagecore strawberry print on display at Paper Source

While not plastered to a mug, this is a quintessential representation of the print. Don’t tell me you haven’t seen it everywhere for the past 5 years.

EXPLORING THE WHY

So, let's start with why you would want to involve yourself with trends in the first place. From an intrinsically motivated standpoint, it'll help you grow as an artist. While artistic integrity is admirable, sometimes it masks stubbornness. To grow as an artist, it's essential to inject new elements into your work. This could be colors, textures, motifs, and even aspects of a different art style. Trends provide ready options for playful experimentation and the fusion of elements you may not have thought to incorporate on your own.

From an externally motivated standpoint, trends give you the opportunity to infuse popular elements into your work. This will naturally connect you to a broader audience, as aspects of it will be of immediate relevance. Creating art with on-trend elements also gives you license to use trending SEO and hashtags. Algorithms, of course, love these and will push them more aggressively. The trend creates the hook. Your unique offering creates continued connection.

 With our "why" established, let's take a look at some different trend categories.

SEASONAL/HOLIDAY

These trends are of course cyclical as they come around right on schedule every year. As I write this, fall is creeping around the corner. Consequentially, there has been an eruption in pumpkin patterns and "hello fall" taglines on prints and décor. In addition, spooky season is rapidly descending upon us. The key to note about seasonal/holiday trends is motif. For example, while the same icons consistently represent Halloween a few will rise to the top each year as trends. Halloween 2025 is the year of ghosts and skeletons. But, not just any ghosts and skeletons. These types of trends are the what, but style dictates the how. This brings us to our next trend category--stylistic.

Autumn approaches.

It’s almost September, so the pretty pumpkins are emerging on home décor shelves—right on cue.

STYLISTIC

Stylistic trends are seen in the portrayal of an image. Continuing with our Halloween examples, 2025 ghosts have a spooky sweet aesthetic with first dance vibes. Think disco ghosts and pink-o-ween mashup. They're not the stuff of nightmares. They're charming, old school. For those who like a less warm and fuzzy vibe, there are skeletons. These skeletons seem to be depicted in a Victorian gothic style. It's not completely disconnected from the spooky sweet aesthetic as these skeletons have the charming veneer of a simpler time like top hats and flowers, but they are rendered with more detail and stark drama than their ghostly pals. You’ll see what I mean in the snapshots below.

CULTURAL

While the trends mentioned so far are shorter lived, cultural trends tend to be more enduring as they reflect broader societal movements. A current example is minimalist, nature-focused art. With a plethora of looming environmental concerns like global warming and the endless bombardment of technology, people seem to be intuitively gravitating back toward nature. Personally, I think that's a healthy and instinctive response, which will hopefully lead us to prioritize the care of our collective home. But, I digress.

Au naturel.

This is a snapshot from the paper racks at Paper Source, featuring earthy tones, simple shapes and minimalist palettes.

COLOR

Closely tied to cultural trends are color trends. A prime example would be the Pantone color of the year. Not only does it set the tone for popular color palettes, it also mirrors the cultural mood. For 2025 the Pantone color of the year is mocha mousse. This color and the resulting earthy and soft/dusty palettes reflect grounded sophistication and promote a feeling of comfort and wellness. Something many people are desperately striving for these days.

Pantone Color of the Year 2025: Mocha Mousse

Image credit: Courtesy of Pantone

TECHNIQUE

Like color trends, those related to technique are also often dictated by culture. But instead of mood, it's in relation to the latest technology and current values. Trends in technique pertain to how a piece of art is rendered and the materials used. A great example is the incorporation of AI into the artistic process. While I personally don’t use AI to generate finished work, I can see its place as a brainstorming tool for some artists.

Additionally, there seems to be a rise in mixed media art (which I've absolutely embraced). Lately, I've seen it show up in the form of junk journals, upcycled art pieces, and the incorporation of textiles into paintings resulting in more tactile art. Below is a link to a tutorial I shared on my YouTube channel earlier this year, a surreal mixed media collage using watercolor and upcycled calendar paper.

CHOOSING YOUR TREND

Now that we have a grasp on the different trend categories, let's talk about how to mindfully engage with them. Certainly, there is no right or wrong way. However, if the goal is to not lose your authentic vision in the process, I highly encourage being selective. The reality is that not all trends will be for you. Think about trends in the fashion world. Certain silhouettes or colors that are trending might look horrible on you. The same goes for your artistic creations. For example, I love creating vibrant watercolor pieces, so mocha mousse isn't a good fit for my work right now. It's not my trend. However, a hand-inked skull illustration with vibrant watercolor floral accents is a great fit. I've demonstrated this in the photo below (for a process video, check out my Trendspotting vlog on YouTube here).

Spooky sweet.

I had a lot of fun creating this little piece. I chose to render it using loose, bright watercolors and ink to stay true to my style. But, I did a skull as a nod to the trending Halloween motif and paired it with sweet 1950s-inspired florals. On trend? Yes. Authentically me? Also yes.

But wait there's more. Being selective doesn't mean you only have to choose trends that easily harmonize with your current vision. You could also select a trend that you just really like for the sake of trying something new. Junk journaling, for example, is a trend I've been wanting to try for ages as it would be a great way to familiarize myself with new media. Or for a more value-focused selection, you can get behind a current cultural trend that aligns with your personal values. I've been leaning into upcycling even more than usual lately. I don't need to abandon my authentic vision at all. I just get to bring it to life in a more sustainable way, like in this upcycled soap dispenser I made. See the process vlog on YouTube here.

Trash to treasure.

This old gin bottle had beautiful botanicals embossed on it. A little glass paint and a salvaged pump transformed it into a useful household item and a stylish piece of décor.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Whether or not you choose to engage with trends as an artist is completely up to you. Will it make you less of an artist if you don't? Absolutely not. However, you may be passing up fruitful creative opportunities for growth and connection if you assume trends are just a superficial waste of time. Like so many things, the trend doesn't determine the outcome. Your engagement does. Speaking of engagement, what is your stance on trends? And are there any that've caught your eye this season? Leave a comment below!