The #1 Mistake When Writing an Artist Statement
Artist statements should be banned.
They instantly put artists into fight or flight.
We put so much pressure on ourselves to get them right that we way overthink them.
They end up being these broad, general, flowery, sweeping statements about our work that make little to no impact on those reading them…and sometimes they are so convoluted that it turns people off.
Instead of artist statements, they should be called “an attempt at explaining my art in a way that makes me look like I know what I’m doing”.
The only goal of an artist statement is to create desire in the reader.
Our words create desire when our readers feel desirable feelings….feelings that they want to feel again and again.
The biggest mistake I see artists make when writing an artist statement is telling the person what they want them to feel…vs. writing words that foster that feeling in the reader.
Here’s the thing…no one wants to be told how they should feel.
Imagine hosting a Holiday party.
Your hope is that everyone who attends the party feels the spirit of the holidays the way you do.
So, to make sure everyone gets the memo, you post a note on the door for your guests….“My hope is that by coming to this holiday party, you will feel the holiday spirit.”
Instead of feeling the holiday spirit as the enter the party, they are greeted by your expectations of them.
Let’s avoid saying things that create expectations for our collectors, and instead, let's give them a good dose of the energy you created your work with.
Instead of saying “I hope my art creates wonder and awe…”
Try sharing a personal experience that created wonder and awe in you…
I’ll never forget that first time I was hiking the trail, when I came around the bend and the entire forest lit up with specks of sparkling light as the sun pierced through the towering trees and suddenly it seemed as if I was amongst fairies.
or…
I leaned in and looked closer and closer at a single sunflower in the giant field of sunflowers, and I realized just how incredibly intricate the world is.
The process is simple.
Think about the emotion your work creates for you. (before it’s made, while you’re making it, or when it’s done…you pick)
Then, think about a time in your life, past, present, or future, that made you feel that way.
And talk about that.
It will give context to your work, and give the viewer space to have their own experience.
Which leads to more desire, more action, and more sales.
A few other tips when writing your artist statement…
Write it so that a 3rd grader can understand. Keeping the language simple and relatable helps people understand and relate to your work. If they are spending their time deciphering what the words mean, they aren’t spending time buying your art.
Don’t overthink this. Your artist statement is just a snapshot of your thoughts about your work in this moment in time. It’s fluid.
Catch yourself if you are trying to pretty up your writing by making everything feel good, happy, or joyful. There are hundreds of different emotions, and they are all capable of creating desire and action in our collectors.
Taking the time to put your thoughts down about your body of work benefits YOU too. It gives you an opportunity to think about why you make what you make. The clearer you are on this, the clearer you’ll be in all of your marketing.
Completely detach from needing anything from your viewer…they don’t need to like you or your art, they don’t need to buy your work, and they don’t need to think that you are legit. When you stop writing what you think you need to write and instead write what you want to write…your writing will be on fire. 🔥
Here’s my process….
I spend time with the art and check in with how it makes me feel.
I think about a time when I've felt that way and I write down the first thing that comes to mind.
I write in detail about that experience…even if it’s embarrassing, or sad, or hard. There is a reason it was the first thing that came to mind.
I ask myself how the experience and the art tie together and I make that connection in the writing.
Finally, I edit for simplicity and clarity and then share with an image of my art.
