WHO: New Hampshire State Council on the Arts
WHAT: The Art of Getting Your Story Out There - An Artist Entrepreneurial Workshop
WHEN: Tuesday, December 8, 2009 : 9:30am - 11:30am
WHERE: Concord, NH @ the Red River Theatre 12/8/09
WHY: Learn to create your Artist Statement, a Mission Statement, a Press Release or an Exhibition Proposal.
This was meant for artists - but I do believe it is a universal process.
This workshop helped explore ways to find your special reason, your empowered drive-force, the passionate story behind the work you do and meant to plunge you deep into the "why's" of your artistic journey.
How do we do that? Delving into our source.. ?
From what was presented, it is a controlled, safe environment where two or more people can talk and keep searching into "why?" Answer once, and then once you answer, again ask - "Why" - and then again, and again, and so on, and so on, etc etc until you reach the "Oooooo" moment.. emphasis on Ah-ha!
Everyone's 'Oh' moment varies and it may take some time to get there.. but it seems to work as long as the person being asked "why" feels safe. It can be done by oneself, but feedback is preferable and a somewhat faster approach or so we're told.
After the time spent doing that, and you've come to know your true source - the one which drives your creativity.. it's time to articulate it into an Artist's Statement!
The equation might look something like: (S)(CM) + CC - [x(Y)+BIT+OC] = BINGO!
The equation longhand: Your Source (S) MULTIPLIED BY a Creative Metaphor (CM) PLUS a Curiosity Compound (CC) MINUS how many (x) years (Y) you've been doing your work and boring industry terms (BIT) and overused cliches (OC) EQUALS One heck of an Artist's Statement! BINGO!
Once you can articulate that, galleries are going to be more interested in you. Customers are going to buy more from you. Success will be knocking whole-heartedly on your door and ringing the doorbell. 'Why' you ask? Haha.. because your statement of introduction has connected to your audience - through already popular story hooks.. the common threads that bind us together. Because they have found resonance with your words.. now they want to meet you to understand what this all means. This is a door that leads to confidence building, and conversations, and relationships. What you really want is to create a friendship. When you can make a friend, you can have the world! Without it, you are doomed; and if your door is never opened to begin that conversation - your business is doomed too. (Check out this one minute 14 second video to see what I mean)
Here are some typical statements in a bad Artist's Statement:
"Here is my PROCESS.
These are my MATERIALS.
This is who I have STUDIED WITH."
..snore..
Let's try again. This time:
YOUR ARTIST STATEMENT:
..is the core of your message.
..is a Vision Statement.
..has Passion.
..tells your viewer about YOU.
..gives people a reason to care about your work.
..is not like other artist statements.
..should make you want to go look at the work.
..can be a metaphor for you (symbolizing what is is you do)
..should be more about you and not about the process or tools you use.
..is intense and powerful.
..IS ALL ABOUT 'WHY' (ie: What is your story?)
It doesn't have to have all of these things listed above but be sure you are on the right tracks searching for and using these!
A good one sounds something like this:
"I see my work as a small link in the long tradition of sculptural object making, a practice that uses the language of plasticity in the creation of forms capable of storing and radiating spiritual energy. My sculptures are relatives of the organic forms that surround me in my everyday life in rural Newfoundland. Through my work I attempt to grasp the inherent rift and accord between humans and the world around us in our indefatigable search for a place between the atoms and the stars." - Luben Boykov, www.sculpturebyluben.com
Mary Petzak, editor of "Singing Your Own Praises" writes, "Publicity is recognition by someone other than the artist that there is a unique story to be told."
It's rare for people to actually care about our story and listen to when it is told. The purpose for us is to find our unique story - and then articulate it somehow in a statement so the world will be curious to learn more. Your Artist Statement can change for different purposes as long as it still talks about your core values. But see, you have not even started the first and I've got you onto another one. Take it easy, it will come. Good Luck and enjoy your process to get in tune with your own, "Artist's Statement." ..RA
Labels: success
