Does your art blog have a page dedicated to you, the artist? Whether you call it an artist’s bio or an about me page, it should be an essential part of your art blog.
Below are 6 tips for creating the perfect, and ever-evolving, artist’s bio.
1. An artist’s bio is not a resume.
An artist’s resume is a summary of your skills and experience as an artist. It reflects your schooling, gallery representation, accomplishments as an artist, and other skill sets.
An artist’s bio, however, tells a story about who you are as an artist, and what your current art means to you.
2. An artist’s bio is not one size fits all.
The artist’s bio you share on your art blog should not be the same bio you share with gallery patrons.
You cannot write a blanket bio and hope to use it whenever a journalist, gallery, or publication requests a copy of your artist’s bio. You need to tailor your artist’s bio towards the audience receiving it.
An artist’s bio for your art blog, for instance, can be up to 500 words and offer a lot more detail than say, an artist’s bio for a magazine publication. . . which usually limits you to 3 sentences and a website address.
3. An artist’s bio is not a sales pitch.
An artist’s bio is not about selling yourself as an artist or selling your artwork. It is, however, about giving art patrons a glimpse into your personality while you attempt to make a personal connection with them.
Write so that patrons feel like they have an inside scoop into who you are as an artist, and why you create what you create. Write so that they’ll want to do business with you based upon what they know about you, the artist. . . and not just what you have to offer as a product.
4. An artist’s bio is not a general statement of facts.
Whether you’re updating an old artist’s bio or writing a new one, it needs to have a targeted audience in mind. And that target audience is made up of several factors, like age, gender, interests, spending habits, and quite possibly geographic location.
Write your artist’s bio so that it speaks directly to those most likely to buy your style of art.
If they’re eco-friendly enthusiasts, talk about how you’re involved in eco-friendly practices, how your art helps the environment, why you choose to use certain products in your art, and reflect upon the sentiments associated with your artwork.
If your artwork draws inspiration upon a certain geographic location, talk about how you grew up in the area, share personal stories that are reflected in several of your pieces, and talk about how you give back to the area.
5. An artist’s bio is not about prestige.
An artist’s bio isn’t about putting up a professional front to appear more successful than you are, or to show others how far you’ve come as an artist. It’s about being yourself, and showing patrons the person behind the art.
If, by nature, you are more laid back, then let it show in your wording. If, you tend to use humor in your art, and on your art blog, then use humor in your artist’s bio.
You don’t need to be prim and proper just because you’re writing to potential buyers and collectors. You need to write in a way that reflects who you are as an artist, and as an individual.
6. An artist’s bio is not static.
As your career changes, as you grow as an artist, or as you change creative direction, your artist bio should be adjusted to reflect those changes.
Last but not least, always remember that the spelling in your artist’s bio reflect upon you. After taking the time to craft a nice artist’s bio, let it sit for a day or two before doing one final edit, and then upload it to your art blog.