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| An art blog is self-representation for an artist. |
In the past decade blogging has really come a long ways. Blogs are free, easy to create, and anyone that can write can have one. Doing so is a growing trend among the art community... and I do not just mean art lovers, reviewers, promoters etc. - the creative crowd themselves are active in the blog-o-sphere. Art blogs are a great way to put your art out there on the worldwide web. In this article I am going to give an overview of some of the benefits blogging has for artists.
Blogging about your art makes you clearly discuss what your art is and what it is about. This is really useful in practicing talking with others about your art in person. Whether you are at a gallery, art show, selling at an art fair booth, having a discussion in an art class, or even during a live radio or video interview, you need to be able to articulate and express yourself as an artist in a way that concisely gives insight to your work and showcases your art expertise.
Writing about yourself is also an exercise in that great philosophical endeavor "Know Thyself" as inscribed in the forecourt of the temple of Apollo at Delphi. I can personally attest that once you put thoughts down into words it is a great way to look over your process of thinking and reflect on the why and how those ideas have come to be. When you talk about your art, ultimately you are talking about yourself. Reinforcing your ideas about creating art could inspire others and maybe you will even surprise yourself.
When you compose and publish a blog - tell your contacts. They in turn will promote you by word-of-mouth and passing your link on to others. Doing so will effectively utilize your blog as a tool to gather more contacts in the art world. If there is anything to learn in becoming a better artist, once you have the tools and skills, it is to have other artists in your life that will share input and feedback with you. Tricks of the trade which may elude you otherwise would come clear if a fellow artist was able to shed light on them for you. Community is important whether you draw a cartoon, do photography, paint, write, play music or whatever creative work you produce. Just because your art is such a personal thing, does not mean that it has to stay private with you and you alone. It well could, but instead of growing and thriving it would stagnate and likely wither in isolation.
Aside from establishing important contacts with other artists, a blog can help expose you to a wider base of admirers. Thanks to search engines, a blog will have people directed to the particular niche they are looking for, and find a website or blog that reflects their search criteria. Being found by the right people is an invaluable benefit of having an online presence. As is predominantly a noted advantage of having your own website and building your brand as an artist, having a blog is a great supplement. Often it can be integrated within your existing site. Linking to and from other personal art blogs will also help with page rank which helps those searching for your art on the internet.
Use your blog to keep people in the know. Once you have subscribers, you can put your latest news out on your blog. A new project, a show, a contest, charity event, auction, or party - if you are involved in something worth telling your fellow artists and art fans about they will need look no further than your blog. Blogging is a very popular and effective means to communicate to a specific audience. Getting to a target audience that is looking for what you create is a wonderfully rewarding and enriching experience. It may not happen overnight, but I suggest giving it a try.
I encourage any artists with blogs to comment on this article. Please feel free to post a link to your art blog below and share how it has affected your art-life.
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