Trends in Art Writing

Writing Content for Artistic Self-Promotion

My art clients often hire me because they are shy or too busy to write about themselves, so in this month's newsletter, I'm sharing some tips and reasons to write content for self-promotion in the arts.

There's a rising need for artists to undertake their own promotion as the era of the powerful art gallery or record label recedes into the past and art workers must become increasingly independent to succeed. Not everyone is comfortable with writing about their work, though.

Self-consciousness and not knowing what to write about are natural, most people go through doubts about what they should share with others in writing. By the same token, it's crucial to share your thoughts about your work because how else will people know more about it? A single blog post or social media post will reach hundreds of people, many more than you could meet face-to-face in a short period, thus increasing your opportunities and potential collaborations.

Some of the common reasons my clients give me for their reluctance to write about themselves and their work are:

• I'm not sure what to write about.
• What if people misunderstand me?
• It'll look like I'm boasting about myself.
• I don't know where to start.
• I'm not sure how it will affect my privacy.
• I'm too busy.

The antidote to these writing blocks is a single question: what is currently inspiring you and driving your work forward? In one fell swoop, the answer combines the motivation to write, gives you something to say, fires up your enthusiasm, and sparks the desire to communicate with others. That's how important inspiration is when it comes to writing content about yourself and your work.

I love it when other artists share their thoughts and advice, it's so encouraging when someone shares their knowledge and ideas, what a service they do to their art.

One of the biggest parts of being an artist is the drive to communicate, either visually in paint, or in some other form like sculpting, acting, designing, the list goes on. Whatever art you practice, it's important to add a writing element to it to add another dimension of communication. What were the ideas going through your mind when you created something? So many people would be interested to learn about the answer to that question, especially the layman to whom the arts are mysterious, and the artist's insights would help them to dig deeper into what inspiration is.

But what if you're struggling and the inspiration isn't there? There's no shame in writing about that too, many other artists experience the same thing and could have a solution to push your work forward.

Personally, I'm grateful for the writers who communicated on behalf of the artists who were reluctant to put their pens to paper in a public way. Much of what we know about Vincent van Gogh comes from essays and books written by authors like Roland Dorn and Lauren Soth, but by far the most impactful impressions were made by Vincent's own letters to his brother. He shared such vital information about the art movements of the time and his personal struggles with mental health, and his writing was a window to his artistic approach, giving art lovers and artists crucial information about his use of colour and how he defined a modern portrait.

As an artist myself, I've seen the benefits of sharing my work by writing about my thoughts, and heartily recommend that all artists find a way to communicate in writing to build their following on social media platforms and search engines. It's helped me to launch my books, get exposure and support for my exhibitions and new paintings, and has definitely been a huge factor in the success of my concerts and CD projects.

Trends in art writing

The current trends in art writing from the artist's perspective include:

• Behind the scenes - what inspired the work?
• The latest works and some points about your approach.
• Your latest news.
• The art movement you're most interested in and the state of the art scene in your country.

Finally, you should be comfortable with what you communicate in writing to the public. Think it through, make it meaningful to you and it will have meaning to others.

Thanks for reading! Now that you're here, please give my Amazon Author page a follow because I'm getting ready to release my debut fiction book 'The Light Walker'.

If art is more your thing, check out my website www.sarahfenwickart.com.

Jazz fans are welcome to visit my site www.sarahfenwick.com.

Read me next month in 'The Augmented Content Writer' and follow my?LinkedIn Profile?for plenty of content ideas, tips and thoughts about writing.

Interested in my writing services?

Visit www.contentwritercy.com for more information.