by:
Yasmeen Abdur-Rahman

An artist’s statement is a statement of ideas and thoughts that describe your
philosophy, vision, and passion towards your artistic creations.

Ponder over the following questions prior to writing your artist’s statement:

• Is your work whimsical, thought provoking, or edgy?
• Does it portray a series of stories?
• Whom or what has influenced you the most?
• How is your work meaningful to you?

How do you begin to write your artists statement? You could begin by writing
a quote that has inspired you and your work, or you could create a strong
sentence that summarizes your philosophy about your life and how art has changed
your views on life in general. You could also include what type of style and
technique that motivates you the most while creating your art creation.

Some artists have writer’s block when it comes to putting down their thoughts
on paper. I would suggest that you start with words that best describe your art
and inner thoughts then go back to edit them into definite statements. Most
artists know and feel what they are trying to convey to their audience, however,
writing it down becomes a huge task.

Personally, I believe your artist’s statement should be written by yourself
because of the personal touch you would be able to provide to it. No one knows
better about your artistry other than yourself. Your audience will get a feel of
what your inner thoughts are and how you find this passion to be a lifestyle and
not a hobby.

Make sure you aren’t using too many words that only artists would recognize.
Express yourself while allowing your words to flow. You are expressing your
passion; so don’t feel pressured to become a renounced writer.

While being an artist is a rewarding career, unfortunately, there are people
outside of this industry who would say it is a hobby. So, it is very important
to express how you feel about your craft through your artist’s statement.
Writing a one-page statement would be sufficient in getting your statement
across to your audience, but if it runs to a page two, that’s fine. Clearly, it
shows your audience that you are vividly and precisely getting your thoughts
across.

Your artist’s statement should be updated as your career inspires new
direction and when there are profound events that have captured new inspirations
in your creative vision. Your statement could be updated at the same pace
similar to updating your résumé.

If you’re still unsure how to get started, here are two excellent sites that
have sample statements:
www.mollygordon.com
or
www.naia-artists.org

Your artist’s statement is a very important tool. Take a block of time out of
your daily or weekly schedules to create the type of statement that will allow
your audience to understand how you began your journey.

Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_707.shtml