Dear Babs, 

I’m a mid-career painter who’s carved out a decent professional career. I’m not famous, and frankly, I don’t want to be. My problem is that I have a unique name I thought would never be confused with another artist. Recently another, young painter with my exact first and last name has been getting attention in the art world. People are starting to mistake me for them. We don’t make similar paintings, but I’m concerned about what’s going to happen if people keep getting us confused. Should I change my name or should I wait it out?

—Pondering a Pseudonym in Philadelphia

Dear Pondering,

If only the art world operated with the same policies as the Screen Actors Guild, which tries hard to make sure all its members work under names that cannot easily be confused with one another. Perhaps then, this younger artist would be the one considering a name change.

Giving up your given name is not an easy decision. You’ve worked to establish yourself using your lifelong name, so changing it now would be like surrendering your public identity to someone else’s success.

Consider the practical aspects of your situation: Does the misidentification you’re experiencing impact your professional life, the sale and the reception of your work? Do you honestly think your online presence might suffer if the other artist becomes a supernova in the art world, making any hopes at search engine optimization futile? Does this appellative doppelganger have any risk of sullying your name? It would really suck to be an artist named Tom Sachs, right! Just to be sure, why not reach out to your same-named peer? Get to know them, if only so they know you exist.

Ultimately, you’re probably going to be fine. I suggest using this as an opportunity to live up to the unique name you and this other artist share. Who knows? In the future, people might mistake the other artist for you!