A bearmaker's key to longevity

So my question for discussion is: do you think it is important that a bear crafter's design work covers a broad spectrum of styles and techniques?  Or, is it possible to stay within your comfort zone and still achieve longevity in the bear industry?

To answer my own question honestly, I'd have to say, the longer I am around, the more I am drawn towards 'a gentle evolutionary curve', rather than a desire to set the bear world alight with innovation.

When I started out as a bear maker I was driven to try new techniques in an effort to 'make my mark', but as a collector what attracted me most about teddy bears, was and still is, a beautiful face and a more classic style.

Several years ago I was swamped with orders for open mouthed, laughing bears in whacky animal print faux furs and for a while my more traditional bears were overshadowed by demand for their more showy contemporaries, despite that flamboyant time my traditional bears have never really completely fallen by the wayside, whatever the current 'fashion' trends happen to be.  

Interestingly, after a flirtatious diversion towards the vintage/careworn style in 2010, I received a plaintive email from a long term collector worried I would no longer be making any bears in my 'usual' style' ...  which made me question whether collectors prefer and expect a certain style from their favourite artists, or whether they are eager to be drawn along the evolutionary path of teddy bear design ...

For a bearmaker to take the path towards becoming a recognised 'teddy bear artist', I think it's very important to achieve an identity in your work. That identity needn't be lost if you change direction; as long as the new direction isn't too radical a recognised signature will always weave through the design.  It is of course important to keep work fresh and interesting, but my instinct says there should be a balance if you want collectors to stay loyal to your work. Having said that, another point to consider is that if you do introduce a new dimension to your work, by doing so you may draw a whole new audience. I have certainly discovered that over the years!

Ultimately, it might be worth bearing in mind, that as a teddy bear collector rather than maker, some of the bear artists I admire most have not altered their style dramatically throughout the 25 years I have been enjoying their work ... which says to me, they must be getting something right!