4Artists Newsletter – February 2008

Write Your Story: The Easy Way

The best way to generate art sales is to build friendships, because it is much easier to buy from friends than it is to buy from strangers.
 
And the best way to make new friends is to listen, build a good report, and try to understand. Then comes the crucial moment for sharing your unique and compelling story.
 
Something more than “I am an oil painter” or “I love to photograph nature”. This Story is about explaining the relationship between you, the artist, and your art. This “love story” which has never ceased to evolve, and which is so exciting for all of us to hear.
 
To build this story, lets start by answering a few questions about your art:

1. How and when did you start?
2. What and who influenced you?
3. What kind of art do you do?
4. How do you do it?
5. What gets you going?
6. Why should the audience care?
   

Now it’s as easy as 1-2-3 to put together your story:

1. Answer the questions above as precisely and with as much detail as possible. Be free, and as authentic as you possibly can. If you are not pen-friendly, ask a friend to read you the questions and record your answers. Then simply transcribe your answers.
2. Identify the 2 or 3 common themes. Typically, these are your life, your message and your art’s topic. Now weave them together into your story.
3. Write it down as best as you can; 1 or 2 pages, until you are satisfied. Have a friend review and correct your work or hire an editor. They come at a very reasonable cost at http://www.elance.com/ or http://www.guru.com/ .
   

And there you go, your story that is a rich artists statement for your next show, update for your website, a press release or a great ice breaker, for the next time you find yourself in an elevator with a patron or gallery owner.
 
Good luck and good telling!