I've been wanting to update my website for a very long time. I've used Blogger for the last few years, which is fine, but not ideal. The finished site just looks too much like a blog in the end, and I wanted my site to look more professional. I've tried WordPress in the past, too, and it's fine, but Wix is so dang easy to use, that having no programming background is not a problem!
OK, I'm done talking about Wix (for now?).
One of the things I'd been thinking about regarding my website and my artist "brand" is my name. I like my name! However, there is an Australian paralympic swimmer named Katherine Downie, and apparently she's good, because she beats me on Google constantly! I used to be most of the links on the first results page, but now I'm lucky if I have one or two! I actually recently followed her on Twitter and commented on a photo she posted, and she followed me back - two Katherine Downies, out to rule the world! Maybe she and I should start a club?
Anyway, back to my name. I decided that, with the start of this website, I am going to rebrand myself as Katherine H. Downie. (If you say that angrily, it sounds a bit like you're swearing...!) (That's not why I'm doing it, though - I just think that's funny. My middle initial really is H.) My website is still katherinedownie.com (I've given out too many business cards to change that now), but everything else from here on out will include the H. I don't know a ton about SEO stuff, but I know enough to hope that there's no confusion with me and the Australian swimmer now that I've tacked an extra letter on my name. There may come a time when I'm knocking her off Google's search results!! (No hard feelings, though, really - she seems like a sweet girl!)
I'm excited about 2015 - I feel like I'm getting things done that I've been meaning to do for a while (artistically), and am excited to make some changes this year. I've been painting a lot more lately (thanks in part to some classes that I'm teaching), and will post more about that soon.
In the mean time, be sure to go over and check out katherinedownie.com and let me know what you think in the comments below!
