The Importance of a Name

“A name pronounced is the recognition of the individual to whom it belongs.” Henry David Thoreau

Names have power. By knowing a name, you own a part of that person or object. It is commonly spread, that by using someone’s name they are more likely to do what you ask or agree with your opinions. It wins over people’s affection by humanizing an experience. Two months ago, I changed the name of my photography portfolio from
Lily Allure to Lily Borak.

The name Lily Allure came about at the end of my studies at
the University of Kansas. For our graduating portfolio we each had to create a website to showcase our work. Almost everyone in my class chose to use their name to title the
portfolio, but I wanted to be different. I thought that Lily Allure sounded
intriguing. I innocently thought it would make myself easier to find on the internet search engines. I knew nothing about SEO! I also wanted separation between my work and my personal life. If I ever made it “big”, I didn’t want people to be able to dig into my privacy. That has long since been blown out of the water by social media and Google. 

Six years after graduating, I’ve changed my mind. I noticed
the trend of artists using their name has continued which includes many of my
personal artists friends. In art history, I remember that many great artists of
the past, like Pablo Picasso and Coco Channel, chose to use their name for
their work. It demonstrates ownership and provides a visual of the creative voice. I like my name, Lily Borak. Lily stands for purity, innocence, virtue, beauty, and rebirth. It is unique
and elegant, plus my last name sounds like Borat which many people are familiar
with the movie so why not take advantage of the joke? I’m proud of my name and
it adds integrity to my brand because it’s something I stand behind. It is memorable which makes it powerful. 

This year in 2018, I am redesigning myself. I want to present
my work to audiences in galleries, coffee shops, or perhaps contests so that I
can sell my work. I want to pursue my artistic talents further. Changing the name of my brand was just the beginning! My
website has undergone a metamorphoses. I’ve shed numerous photographs that are not up
to par with the high quality of work that I know I can produce. I only want the best from myself. I hope that my friends, family, and fans enjoy the results!

This is my very first blog post, so I appreciate hearing
from friends! My goal is to post every 2 weeks. We’ll see what happens?

To be continued…