Update your bookmarks, because I’ve changed my domain name! BillyIdyll.com is now IdyllSketching.com.
Why Idyll Sketching?
I kept “Idyll,” because I like the pun combination of “idyll” as a serene pastoral landscape, and “idle” as relaxed, even lazy, given my defense of doing what is easy. But I changed from “Billy Idyll,” a pun on an 80s rock star that I enjoy, to “Idyll Sketching,” a more general description of what I do: paint beautiful landscapes in an idle or easygoing manner.
Why change from Billy Idyll?
A few reasons!
I don’t want to be a fake guy anymore
Chomping the flavor of an 80s rock musician was starting to feel weird. Especially since it made it hard to go by my own name. People would be like, “Wait, are you Logan, or are you Billy?” What name do I put on my business card? With what name do I sign my paintings? It was confusing. I was becoming jealous of people who have more general domains, like “Doodlewash” or “Fearless Brush”, who can use their own names to refer to themselves as people.
So: now I have one. “Idyll Sketching” is my site, and I can be Logan Hughes, a person.
It doesn’t need to be my Insta handle anymore
I mean, if I’m being honest, I originally chose “Billy Idyll” as my Instagram name because I thought it was funny. Then I got the Billy Idyll domain to go with my Instagram account, but now I’m off Instagram so it doesn’t matter.
Punk rock doesn’t really match my vibe
Commenter Joan recently noted that my branding didn’t really seem to match my overall vibe, especially the tagline “watercolor dirtbag” that I wrote five minutes after setting up my WordPress and never revisited.
My initial idea for the Billy Idyll persona was a kind of devil-may-care, rebellious, rock star type, but quickly that got away from me because it isn’t really the way I naturally operate. I’m much more earnest and meticulous. The way I really am wins out over any kind of attempt to be a character, every time.
An audio pun is a hard domain name to explain
Idyll Sketching still has this problem, but I also have idlesketching.com so I don’t need to specify.
It will never be easier
Changing my branding is not exactly easy now, as I’m just starting to pick up steam with attracting an audience, getting folks on my mailing list, etc., but it will only get harder the deeper in I get. Changing your branding, like changing your name, is always easier now than later.