THE ART OF WRITING
Bios, Blogs and Statements
by Lori McNee
For many artists, facing a blank page is more intimidating than starting a new canvas! Nevertheless, besides your creative skills, writing is the primary basis upon which your work and intellect will be judged in the professional world and on the Internet. The importance of writing skills isn’t limited to bios, blogs and artist’s statements. It’s also important for e-mails, brochures, sales materials, grants, presentations and even social media. Writing is an art form that artists can work to master, and it is necessary for a successful career.
Many of us have happily forgotten our lessons in English classes that were filled with confusing grammar terminology. Do we really need to understand intransitive verbs, dangling modifiers or even superlatives to be competent writers? Must an oil painter understand the different categories of pigment formulas and their chemical compounds? Of course not!
We can write satisfying words without the worries of whether we are being possessive about adjectives or definite about articles.
“If musicians can play by ear, so can writers, but, if they can’t, it helps to know some rules.”
—Henry Ehrlich, editor
In this fast-paced world many people suffer from information overload, and understanding how to write something that gets read is more important now than ever. Read on for useful tips for writing a bio, blog and artist’s statement.
HOW TO WRITE AN ATTENTION-GRABBING BIO
Gone are the days when we relied solely on our boring résumés to highlight our accomplishments. Today, you need an attention-grabbing bio to tell readers about you and your work.
A bio should contain four main factors. It should clearly explain who you are and what you do, add a dash of your personality, and then leave the reader with confidence in you.
Unlike a résumé, a bio is less formal. A bio gives you the chance to share your story, build trust and make a positive connection with the reader. Whether you are a photographer, artist, designer or entrepreneur, a good bio is an essential part of your promotional materials.
Here is the mini bio that I use for Pinterest. I kept it very simple and clean, much like the site. I added my blogs for extra marketing potential.
Here’s an example of a mini bio for Twitter. It’s snappy and fun, and shares a bit of Terri’s personality and info about her business.
Three types of bios to consider
No matter its length, your bio is a branding opportunity, especially if you are in business for yourself. I suggest writing all three types of bios:
The mini: Do you use Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking tool? You will need a mini bio for your profile. It is only a few short important sentences—this is your “elevator pitch.”
The short: A short bio will have all the components of a long one, but only highlights the very best. This bio will be used for your blog, newsletter, interviews, brochures, magazines and query letters. Keep the short bio at no more than one hundred words. If it is too long, people won’t read it.
The long: A longer bio is generally used when you feel like you have more to say. For example, use a longer bio on your “about me” page of your blog or website. Keep the longer bio to a page in length, and add your picture for a nice touch.
I use this short bio in the sidebar of my blog along with a smiling picture of me. This helps to personalize and humanize my content.
Key components of a bio
Use the following components to build your bio:
Name: Your name should be in the first sentence. This is the all-important introduction of you to the reader.
Tell about yourself: Assert your business with confidence. Concisely highlight your achievements and awards, and hook the reader. A little of this goes a long way—don’t turn your reader off with ego-driven self-promotion.
Add a dash of personality: Personal branding is just that—your personal, virtual personality. The reason for your bio is to sell yourself by building transparency. Share a bit about your interests and what you care about.
Contact information: Include your pertinent contact information, e-mail and websites, and hyperlink the content to your social media networks.
Add a picture: For some purposes, you will want to add your picture or avatar to your bio. A friendly picture helps to humanize you to your readers. To help with branding recognition, consider using the same image across all of your social media channels.
Additional bio writing tips
Write for the reader: It is important to understand your reader or audience before you start writing. I sometimes tweak my bio for different purposes, readers or clients.
Decide on first-person or third-person: Popular opinion states that a bio is best when written in third-person (a narrative, using pronouns such as he or she). Third-person is the best option if the bio is going to be used by others.
However, there are times when a first-person bio (speaking about yourself, I) might be needed. My first-person bio has been handy for introducing myself to live audiences during keynote addresses and webinars. A first-person bio can be used to personalize your blog.
Keep it simple: Stay away from flowery language that attempts to sound too complex or grand. Write short, easy-to-read paragraphs. Remember, most people are skimmers. According to the BBC, the attention span of the average web surfer is only 9 seconds.
Proofread: Find another set of fresh eyes to proofread your bio. Use spell-check and even consider an online grammar checker if needed.
Evolve: You will grow and evolve, and your bio should reflect that. When that time comes, rewrite your bio so it can evolve with you.
TIPS FOR BETTER BLOGGING
Blogs help artists, freelancers and small businesses reach beyond the canvas or computer screen to make contact with potential collectors, customers, business prospects and like-minded individuals.
But, do we really need a blog if we use Facebook, and all the other social media networks to connect with our audience? The answer is yes.
With social sites, you do not own or control any of the content that has been shared on your accounts. You do not have control over the look and layout, and you cannot manage the comments.
I am a big proponent of social networking, but what if Facebook, Google+ or Twitter disappears, stops working, or is purchased and you do not like the changes? These social sites control all of your contacts, content and images. Relying solely on social networks that are owned and controlled by third parties to market your art is risky business. If you are unable to use them for any reason, you will have no way to swiftly connect to your people.
On the other hand, blogging combined with social media offers artists, freelancers, and small businesses content control, a unique opportunity for self-promotion, expanded viewership, and contact with prospective customers.
BLOGGING ADVICE
If you have trouble with writing naturally, use a voice recorder to first record your blog post verbally and then transcribe it. This allows you to find your own voice while avoiding the stiff nature of writing.
Important reasons to consider a blog
A blog strengthens your personal brand: Branding is who you are or what the world thinks you are. Every time a prospect or a potential customer makes contact with you they are forming an opinion of you as a brand. A blog offers you a great opportunity to share your unique perspective and creative voice, plus it will help bring the world to your art business.
Blog posts have a long shelf life: Once you submit your blog post it will be searchable via Google until you decide to take it down. A good blog post, optimized with searchable keywords, will likely bring in business down the road. With social media sites, older information is quickly replaced by the newest information. Once you update your status, the previous post is pushed down on your page. In time, it will be gone from view.
Blog posts are searchable: Your content is easily found via keywords or the search window that is in the top right-hand corner of most blogs. Blog post are also easily shared. You can categorize your content to make it easier for your readers to find. Blogs make it simple for people to search, find and spread your ideas.
Blogs create richer content: Whereas social networks are mainly for people who like to comment, blogs allow for richer content. A blog will allow you to speak your mind, and it is easy to use multiple contextual avenues such as podcasts, videos, images and MP3 files to share your ideas, portfolio and interesting stories. A blog is virtually free content marketing.
As a creative blogger, you can use this free marketing medium to receive feedback and criticism before a work is finalized, and to gain new ideas and suggestions. Posting your works-in-progress on your blog will help you see your creative process from start to finish.
Consider posting tutorials, essays and experiments to reveal details about the creation process that are often overshadowed by final pieces.
Even if you decided against blogging for now, I hope you consider it in the future. Blogging is the best way to have maximum control over your content and the social technology you use to run your business.
LEARN FROM THE PROS
I have learned a lot from both of these blogging blogs:
Entrepreneurs-Journey.com: “Down-to-earth tips and advice for Internet entrepreneurs.”
ProBlogger.com: “Blog Tips to Help You Make Money Blogging.”
EXTRA BLOGGING TIPS
• Use thought-provoking titles: The blog post title is the first thing to grab the reader’s interest. It should highlight the main story of your post. Be creative and informative with your titles. Use keywords to help with search engine optimization (SEO). Short phrases usually rank better with search engines.
• Post original content: Original content will help boost your rankings in Google, allowing your blog to be found more easily. Do not plagiarize or copy someone else’s work. If you do quote someone, be sure and add the link to his or her blog. Scatter your important keywords throughout the post. Use the main keyword in the opening sentence for better SEO.
• Vary your topics: Keep your readers coming back for more of your fresh ideas. Vary the cadence of your post topics and length. Be flexible because you never know when a hot topic might need to be your next blog post.
• Find your voice: Showcase your own personality in your writing. The key to a good blog post is to find your unique voice. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind through your blogging.
• Check for errors: We are all busy, but take time to proofread your post before publishing.
• Share the link love: Linking to other blogs is a great way to create an information-rich post. Sharing links will also build up your relationship with other bloggers.
• Encourage comments: Foster a discussion by encouraging comments with your readers. Ask a question at the end of the post, and be sure to reply to your readers.
• Use images: Plain text is boring, and over 60 percent of your readers are visual learners. Readers want photos, graphs and illustration. Visual aides help readers memorize the ideas. Use your own images or use a site like Flickr to search for images with a creative commons license. Learn how to enter a description of the image into the alternate text field to make them searchable on the Internet.
HOW TO WRITE AN ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Writing about yourself is never an easy task. Creative people often have a difficult time formulating the right words to express their art. Most artists prefer to leave the emotional response between the viewer and the art, without the necessity for words.
Nevertheless, there are many times when artists are asked to provide an artist’s statement. All serious creative entrepreneurs should have a well-written artist’s statement ready to share with galleries, curators, grant foundations and collectors.
An artist’s statement should reflect the meaning of the work to the artist. In other words, it is a short piece written for the viewer to answer questions he or she may have about you, your art and your artistic process. A good statement reveals the mystery of the work and artist to the reader.
A well-written statement is a vital marketing tool to promote you and your art. It is a bridge between the work and the viewer. The artist’s statement must be informative and written as though you were speaking in person about your work. Think of it as an introduction to yourself and your art.
The process
Statements are as individual as the artists they represent, and many aspects of an artist’s statement come down to personal choice. However, there are some industry suggestions that can help you get started.
As with any writing project, begin with a rough draft. Start with the pertinent and fill in the details. Remember, you are writing for people who are interested in you and your art.
When preparing to write an artist’s statement, keep a notepad with you when you are creating. Jot down simple notes that will help you recall your feelings, emotions and thoughts about your art and creative process.
Write the statement in first-person and infuse it with your unique perspective. Is your work fanciful, aggressive or solemn? Choose prose that complements and reflects your art.
Keep the language simple and clear. An artist’s statement should be no more than three paragraphs. A word count of one hundred to three hundred words is optimal. Some of the finest statements are only three to five sentences. Be original, and try to begin your statement with something more creative than “My work….”
HELPFUL HINTS
Suggestions for writing out your ideas: Make a list of your objectives and goals. Include your interests, influences and activities.
• Where do you live?
• What inspires you?
• Who inspires you?
Describe your creative process.
• Why do you create, and what does it mean to you?
• Is there a message?
• What are your artistic goals?
Put your art into words.
• What techniques, style, and mediums are used?
• Use language for non-artists.
• Use informal first person, “I” statements.
Read other successful artists’ statements for inspiration.
In today’s world, artists are expected to do more than just create. We must stay current within the art market, and most of us don’t have the luxury of a personal assistant or secretary. If writing really stumps you, hire someone to write for you. Try using a secretarial service, a college student or a freelance writer or journalist. Remember, good writing skills can often mean the difference between getting accepted or rejected for a show or gallery.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Don’t turn the statement into a résumé.
Don’t turn the statement into a biography.
Don’t catalogue works.
Don’t try to be funny.
Don’t be pretentious.
Don’t jump around from idea to idea.
Don’t be afraid to ask what the event, gallery or exhibition is looking for in a statement.
Lori McNee is an exhibiting member of Oil Painters of America and ranks as one of the most influential artists and powerful women on Twitter. She was named a Twitter Powerhouse by The Huffington Post. Lori shares valuable fine art tips, art business tips and social media advice on her blog, FineArtTips.com. She has been a talk show host for Plum TV, and has been featured in and written for magazine and book publications and serves on the Plein Air Magazine board of advisors.