Do Artists Today Need a Blog?
The question-- Do artists need to have a blog in order to obtain the exposure they desire online? I’d say yes. If an artist, specifically an emerging artist, wants to reap the rewards of gaining exposure online it is vital to have a digital podium to stand on, so to speak. A blog devoted to your art is more important today than ever due to the popularity of websites such as Twitter and Facebook-- and other sites that cater to link exchanges and the delivery of information online. However, keep in mind that using a blog as a tool for exposure is only as strong as the content of your blog.
As Senior Editor for MYARTSPACE.com I’ve viewed thousands of blogs maintained by artists. One error I often encounter happens to be art blogs that are strictly image based. While it is important to display your artwork on your blog I’d say that it is equally important to actually write about your artwork and studio practice.
Throwing a blog post that only includes an image, title, and your name at blog visitors does little to hook their interest for any length of time. Additional information tends to capture the interest of blog visitors-- thus keeping them focused on your artwork and thoughts. With luck you may even fuel dialogue via blog comments pertaining to specific artworks.
Some advice to keep in mind when blogging about your art:
* If you post an image of your original artwork be sure to include some of your thoughts on the piece or perhaps give some details about its creation. Every detail will spark interest and potentially spur comments.
* Include information about your influences-- always give credit where credit is due. This goes 10 fold if you appropriate images.
* Most importantly… make sure that that the content you include is original. Don’t plagiarize the viewpoints of other artists. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve spotted direct plagiarism from one artist blog to another. The last thing you want is for people to question the validity of your artwork after discovering that you have plagiarized the words of other artists.
*The blog does not have to be flashy-- it could be a mere Blogger blog. You will find that most blog visitors are more impressed with great content than with the over all design of your blog.
* Be yourself. No one will want to read your opinions if they come off mechanical and uninspired.
* Don’t get upset if you receive few comments. Some pro bloggers suggest that only 99% of blog visitors leave comments. In other words, keep posting and don’t base your blog success on comments alone.
* Write about other artists that you enjoy-- they may return the favor.
* If you utilize art sites, such as www.myartspace.com, or a personal website be sure to mesh those sites within the context of your blog in some manner. For example, if you have a free myartspace.com account you may want to embed the gallery feature on a blog post about recent work. See below,
Take care, Stay true,
Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com
2 comments:
I have started my blog over a year ago in both English and my mother language (Japanese).
I started out mostly to upload images and write few contents about the piece.
But, what I deeply enjoy now is just talking about things happening to me as an artist.
I know so many artists struggle to put your name out there and I am definitely one of them too. I write about my up and down, my thoughts to everything that caught my attention.
I am not really afraid to tell my failures and successes (off course failures takes 99%....haha).
But why I want to share my blog to everybody is just not to put my name out there as an artist, but also share my experiences, ideas, and philosophy. I know how depressing to be an struggling artist sometime.I am one of them.
It is always up and down, and mostly down.
Keep your faith and work hard. I know something will work out.
Be creative and be truthful to yourself. And be proud that you are an artist!
The internet is definitely a powerful tool and a great platform for artists to get exposure. In a way it replaces traditional art galleries, hence, making it much easier for creative people today to showcase their work. However is not always easy, as there is a lot of competition and a lot of information circulating online; sometime it can also become quite overwhelming. But definitely, blogging and social networking are great assets for artists; however, they require a lot of dedication hard work and perseverance :)
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