How to craft a bio and artist statement: Writing prompts and tips to help you get it done.
In this post, I’ve gathered a few prompts and tips to help you craft (or edit) your artist bio and statement. The most important thing to understand is that there are no hard or fast rules, but there are a few industry conventions that are associated with ‘communicating professionally,’ so, depending on your professional objectives, I’m including them here for your consideration.
Feel free to pick and choose only the prompts as you see fit. When you begin to write, or edit, aim for clear and concise text that conveys what you think is essential knowledge about who you are as an artist and about your work.
I’ll begin by offering two strategies that may help you move forward confidently:
1) Your story matters. If you were to overhear one of your fans or supporters telling someone else about you and/ or your work, what do you think they would say? What would YOU like them to know about you or your work (pretend you are not present!)? What are the potential points of connection you and your ideal audience would likely share?
Ultimately, people will feel and say whatever they want, but remember that you DO have a measure of control over what you share with the world. Get candid, or keep it private, but see if you can challenge yourself to approach your storytelling with the same level of creativity that you invest in your work.
2) Not a writer? No problem! If you bristle at the thought of writing, use a voice recorder to speak it into existence. Pretend you’re speaking to someone you know (and obviously feel really comfortable with!) and then transcribe your recording. It’ll sound, not surprisingly, just like you… at your best -- and much less ‘canned.’ Come back to it in a day or two, and review it for clarity. Wrap it up, print or hit ‘publish’ and don’t forget to celebrate because it’s done!
Bio - Writing Prompts
Where were you born?
Where did you attend school?
How do you describe your occupation?
What are some themes you explore in your work?
How would you describe your visual style?
What mediums do you use to create your work?
When you’re not in your studio making art, what are some of the things you like to do?
Where do you live today?
What are you working on right now, or what projects do you have coming up?
Do you have gallery representation/Are you represented by an agent?
Tips
Write your bio in a 3rd person voice.
Open your bio with the most important information. Can you write one sentence that describes your work --keeping in mind what might appeal most to your ideal customer? Where does your work coincide with her needs, interests or values?
Make your bio short. It should be 80- 120 words long. You can also have a longer version, of course, but for your website, it needs to be short.
In general, keep most accomplishments and accolades for your Curriculum Vitae.
Check and double-check spelling and punctuation!
Artist Statement- Writing Prompts
Why do you make art/create?
What are your earliest memories of making art?
What piece/s are you busy with at present? Are you working through any challenges or exploring new techniques?
What are some of the main themes you’re interested in, and what ideas are you currently exploring in your work?
Does color play a part in setting the mood and tone of your work? How does color function in your art?
What is your story of finding your visual language and style within the artistic tradition?
How would you describe your work? Does it lean toward figuration or abstraction, or something in between, or something else?
How has your art changed over the years, and what has influenced that evolution?
Do you have a ‘personal iconography?’ Are there any recurring motifs in your work?
Are there layers of symbolism in your work?
What other artists or creators do you admire or draw upon in your own work?
In what ways does your art represent or relate to your own experiences?
Have you had, at any point during your career, a realization (about technique or subject matter, for example), that had an impact (whether it was significant, or more subdued/indirect) on your work?
How does your medium or your technique support the subject matter or themes in your work?
What is your process of working?
Tips
Your artist statement should be written in first person.
There is no maximum length, but brevity is always your friend. It can be as few as 100 words, but most are ½ page to a page in length.
If you’ve got too much text, consider using the extra text in a blog post about your work, and link to it from your About page.
Keep any professional jargon to a minimum, and use everyday conversational language.
If you incorporate specific work titles, italicize them, and if you incorporate an exhibition name, that should be in quote marks.
Finally, if you are preparing your bio and artist statement for your website, consider including images alongside your bio to help tell your story. You should include a high quality bio picture, of course, but I am referring here to other images that reference where you were born, or where you live now, or what inspires your work, for example. The sky is the limit, so get creative, and have some fun with it.
These can be included as thumbnail images with captions (even pictures taken with your phone would be OK), or as a collage of visuals that are meaningful to you, for example. It’s an approach that will add a touch of personality, offer points of identification or connection with your audience, and also make your bio memorable.
I’d love to see what you do! Comment below and include a link to your site and work!
