What is an artist statement? Why should you write one?
Do you even need one?
What are you supposed to do with them?
Well, I'll tell ya :).
An artist statement is a brief bit about you and your work that
can be used in conjunction with your Artist Resume (next weeks post) or can be
presented all by itself. It is simply a little window that gives
outsiders a peek into who you are as an artist.
Artist statements are often required when submitting to craft
shows, galleries and artist-centric wholesale accounts.
As our business's progress, tools like these become necessary- so yes, you need one.
At the very least a well-written artist statement will spiff up an
online profile and give your artistic business a professional and manicured
look.
How on earth do you write one?
I’m here to help :)
Writing for ourselves can be a huge challenge for many, many
artists.
How do you talk about yourself and do it in a way that doesn’t
sound conceited or apologetic.
It can be really hard to know what to say.
I’ve created a basic tool that will help you say what you need to
and be done. (yes done!)
And it’s really quite simple.
I am going to interview you, you are
going to answer and then compile your answers into 1-2 paragraphs (elsewhere)
and voila! In just a few minutes
to many many hours (depending on how fast you type,) you will have your original, one of a kind useable and
reusable artist statement. (ta, da!)
Please answer 2-3-4-5 or all of the questions below, the ones that
inspire you the most. Reply in your tone of voice,
talk like you would if your friends were asking the questions. Answer each question with “I”
sentences (ie. I remember making clay pots as a child, I love working with
macramé because…) or by repeating the question in your answer (The people in my
life who have inspired me are… because…) You can also answer in 3rd
person but I like my statements to be from me, to the reader.
As working example, I ran through the questions as well, you can see the results of my answers
further down the blog post.
Ready? Here we
go:
1.What has inspired you as an
artist?
2.What is the first thing you remember making?
3. Are there artists (famous or not) that have influenced your
work?
4. Are there people in your life that have inspired you or your
artwork?
5. Is there a moment in your life when you knew you were supposed
to be an artist?
6. What materials do
you like to work with? Why
do you choose those?
7. Is there a special technique or process you use that makes
your work unique?
8. What does creating art mean to you?
9. Does your work have a theme to it?
10.What goals do you have for yourself as an artist?
Now,
pick the questions that suit you best, and answer them.
Here is what I came up with the first time around:
What has inspired you as an artist?
I was raised in the rural parts of Northern California. The beauty of the town I grew up in has
always inspired me to try to capture something beautiful and take it home with
me.
What materials do you like to work with? Why do you choose those?
I love working with old cameras and funky lenses, I think being
able to manipulate the image from the camera makes the digital nature of my
work more hands on and artistic.
What does creating art mean to you?
Creating art gives me a chance to work outside the confines of a
9-5 job. Being an artist has allowed me to be a stay at home mom and have
the flexibility to explore my creative nature while encouraging it in my family
and others.
Does your work have a theme to it?
I like to think my work is themed around unexpected beauty.
I am always looking for the “wow” shot in places no one ever noticed before.
------
So lets combine my answers and see the results:
I was raised in the rural parts of Northern California. The beauty of the town I grew up in has
always inspired me to try to capture something beautiful and take it home with
me.
I love working with old cameras and funky lenses, I think being
able to manipulate the image from the camera makes the digital nature of my
work more hands on and artistic.
Creating art gives me a chance to work outside the confines of a
9-5 job. Being an artist has allowed me to be a stay at home mom and have the
flexibility to explore my creative nature while encouraging it in my family and
others. I like to think my work is themed around unexpected beauty. I am
always looking for the “wow” shot in places no one ever noticed before.
--------
Not bad; clear, concise and not overly showy but you still get a
feeling about me and why I do what I do.
Now I will answer 4 different questions, as a test:
What is the first thing you remember making? What about it stuck
with you?
When I was little I remember making beaded earrings. I loved the
feel of the beads in my hands and seeing the finished product. Once
I learned I could make something from almost nothing, I was hooked and knew I
had to make my living, making things.
Are there people in your life that have inspired you or your artwork?
My parents are both artistic in nature. They always encouraged me to take my
own path and they have been a strong influence in my push for personal success.
Are there artists (famous or not) that have influenced your work?
I have found so much inspiration in the great works of the
National Geographic photographers. Being
able to capture the Earths beauty is such an incredible skill and I strive for
that in all that I do.
What goals do you have for yourself as an artist?
It is always my goal as an artist to push myself to the next
level. I love learning and
learning what I can do. I
am always excited to present my best work and I love finding new ways to
challenge and improve my talents.
Condensed:
When I was little I remember making beaded earrings. I loved the
feel of the beads in my hands and seeing the finished product. Once I learned I
could make something from almost nothing, I was hooked. I knew I had to make my
living, making things. Additionally (added a word to tie together
the two thoughts) my
parents are both artistic in nature. They
always encouraged me to take my own path and they have been a strong influence
in my push for personal success.
Aside
from my parents (added
a transition to my sentence, for flow) I have
found so much inspiration in the great works of the National Geographic
photographers. Being able
to capture the earth’s beauty is such an incredible skill and I strive for that
in all that I do. It is
always my goal as an artist to push myself to the next level. I love learning and learning what I
can do. I am always excited
to present my best work and I love finding new ways to challenge and improve my
talents.
-------------------
So, now, you try it :)
I really hope this helps. Artist statements are such an important thing to have. If this works for you, once you've done it, you're done!
Next
week I’ll be posting on how to make an artist resume, a much easier thing to do
and equally important thing to have.
Ps. I know there are a lot of people out there who haven’t a clue
on where to start when it comes to writing for themselves. If you think this
information is helpful, I appreciate you sharing it.
Bye!