Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Think about it
• Method 2 of 3: Make it a whole
• Method 3 of 3: The finishing touches
• Tips

A clear and intelligent artist statement will make you stand out from the crowd and show others that you are an artist with a clear vision. Writing such a statement can be a difficult process, but it is also a hugely valuable experience and practice, as it can help you better understand yourself as an artist. Here are some pointers to get you started.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Think about it

1. Be honest with yourself. Before you put a letter on paper, you will first have to take the time to think about yourself and your art. You need to understand what it is that you are doing and trying to achieve before explaining it to anyone else.
   • Ask yourself what you are doing. What do you want to express with your art? What makes your art so unique?
   • Ask yourself why you are doing it. What motivates you to produce art? What emotions or ideas are you trying to convey? What does your art mean to you?
   • Ask yourself how you do it. Where do you get your inspiration from? Which tools and materials do you use?
2. Think about who influenced you. Think about things that affect you, be it art, music, literature, history, politics or the environment. Think about how these influences have impressed you and how they manifest in your work. Try to be as specific as possible.
3. Create a mind map. Mind mapping is a great way to think freely. It also helps to discover the connections between different ideas.
   • In the center of a piece of paper, write a central idea that says something about your work. Then spend 15 minutes writing down words, phrases, feelings, and techniques related to that thought.
   • Free writing is another technique that can help keep the creative juices flowing. Spend 5-10 minutes writing whatever comes to your mind when you think about your own art. You will be amazed at what you come up with.
4. Identify what you want people to understand. What do you want people to get out of your art. What message or emotion do you want to convey?

Method 2 of 3: Make it a whole

1. Explain why you do what you do. The first part of your artist statement should be about why you are an artist. Make this as personal as possible. Talk about your goals and what you hope to achieve through your art.
2. Describe the techniques you use to make decisions. In the second part of your artist statement, you tell the reader more about how you make decisions. How do you select a theme? How do you decide which materials to use? Which techniques do you use? Keep it simple and tell the truth.
3. Tell us more about your current job. In the third part you provide more insight into your current work. How does this relate to your previous work? What experiences contributed to your current direction? What are you exploring, what are you trying to achieve or do you find challenging at work?
4. Keep it short and sweet. Your artist statement is an introduction to your work, not an in-depth analysis. Your artist statement may not be more than 1 or 2 paragraphs and certainly not longer than a page.
   • Your artist statement should answer most general questions that are asked about your art, and is not intended to overload the reader with irrelevant facts and minute details.
   • Concise and efficient language use is key. A good artist statement makes your readers curious.
5. Use simple language. An effective artist statement invites people to view your art, regardless of what they know about art; no one is excluded.It should make you more accessible, not obscure it with opaque, artificial jargon.
   • Write in simple colloquial language.
   • Use "I" rather than "you" in your statement. Talk about what your art does to you, not what it should mean to others.

Method 3 of 3: The finishing touches

1. Let it rest for a while. Your artist statement is a piece of personal text. When you are done writing, let it rest for a while. This will help you take a step back from what is necessary to polish the text, without compromising your integrity.
2. Seek feedback. Before making the statement public, it is wise to ask for feedback first. Show your art and statement to family, friends, and anyone who might be interested.
   • Make sure your readers understand what you have written. If this is not the case or you still need to explain everything, rewrite the text and eliminate any confusion.
   • Keep in mind that only you have authority over what is real and true for your job, but it never hurts to seek advice on clarity and linguistic elements such as spelling and punctuation.
3. Revise where necessary. Often a better layout is all it takes to make your statement crisp and clear. If you need help, ask a writer to proofread your text and fix such problems.
4. Use your statement. Make the most of the artist statement and use it to promote your work to gallery owners, museums, photo banks, publishers and the general public.
5. Keep all your notes and scraps. It is good to update your artist statement from time to time so that it continues to reflect the changes in your art. Keeping your original notes and scraps to hand will help you keep a close eye on your past developments and train of thought, and it will give you a sense of creative continuity.

Tips

• Avoid making comparisons with other artists. It may seem presumptuous and you may not pass the comparison. Let the critics decide.
• Not all artists can write well. If you belong to that category, consider hiring a professional writer or editor, preferably one with an art background, to help you articulate what you want your artist statement to convey, on a way so that it can be understood by everyone.