As a visual artist, your predominant mode of expression is through visuals. But behind every great visual are tales, mysteries, and intentions, which have to be laid out in words. Therefore, we have created a comprehensive writing guide for all visual artists, including photographers. We sincerely hope that this article serves to help and inspire you.
Social Media is Like an Writing Water
All us spend a few hours daily on social media to market their creations. Using sites like Instagram or Twitter to showcase your own visual creations is certainly the right thing; and, of course, we can keep doing this. But in this “fast consumption” world of social media, posting something that dies within a day at most is writing on water. Social media doesn’t really reflect how deep your art is. This is where “writing” comes in.
Writing is Thinking
Writing makes the disorder you feel at the surface of a blank canvas or screen visible, making clear the change within your creative process and the philosophy behind your work. This writing guide will help you unleash the transformative power of writing. After all, as American author and historian David McCullough said: “To write is to think.” The best way to think deep about something is to put it on paper. It is through writing that you open new doors in your mind and find great ideas that will take your art to another level. Remember, words are the most powerful visuals. The tool that will enhance your art this time may not be a brush, but a pen.
What This Article Covers
In this writing guide for artists, you’ll find the following topics:
- Why You Should Write?
- Leave Your Writing Worries Behind
- Living Proof That You Can Write: Our Art Interviews
- Real Ideas for Writing Topics
- Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Writing Guide
- Some Basic Principles for Writing a Good Article
- Where to Publish Your Writing
Why You Should Write?
Writing will develop your artistic identity. What you write bestows these essential benefits upon your art:
- Adds meaning and depth to your art: You cannot convey in a social media post the months’ hard work behind a piece, the “golden hour” waited for a photograph, or the nutty dream inspiring a sculpture. Writing enables you to amplify the expressive power of your art by telling the story, process, and metamorphosis of your work. Writing gives artists an additional language for their art: storytelling. By writing about your art, you gain extra expressive power through words.
- Reach the right ones: Instead of seeking after crowds to gain “likes,” you will be able to find the proper people interested in the depth of your work, such as collectors, curators, and even other creatives. And an artist who knows how to write well with words aside from images will definitely capture the attention of a curator more.
- Offers trust and authority: By putting your thoughts directly into word form, you position yourself not just as a “visual artist” but also as a “thinker” and “storyteller” in the field. Words empower you to increase your authority in the industry.
- Opens gates for new opportunities: New collaborations and projects commissioned might be diverted through your writings. Even gallery offers come from such writing. A collector may fall in love not only from what he sees but from that which lies behind that view.
- It boosts your expressiveness: As a written content creator in your field, you will be able to express yourself more effectively and with more power in text-focused professional publications. This may eventually lead you to be discovered by editors of professional art publications like Saatchi or Artfinder.
Leave Your Writing Worries Behind
We can just imagine what questions come into your mind before you even pick up your pen. Let not the thoughts scare you; you can always write well. Reasons usually come in mind for “why writing is difficult,” but, then again, that feeling always comes with why people should worry about ending all the fears.
The following excuses hold true for “not writing” and, since you have read this far, we can say that you have no reason to worry about this. Here are the classic excuses for not writing and reasons why you shouldn’t worry:
- “I’m an artist, not a writer; I see my world as visual.” Stay an artist, please. When we say writing, we don’t actually expect you to become any literary genius. It’s sufficient if you express your thoughts honestly and sincerely. Just like those first marks in a sketchpad, use words as your tool. Your story is already there; you just need to put it into words.
- “I have no time to write.” And you don’t have to write every day. Sharing several high-quality, thoughtfully composed pieces every month is much more effective and longer-lasting than blasting out a barrage of meaningless tweets.
- “What if no one reads it?” Very few people might read your first article. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Remember, reaching ten people who are really interested is much better than reaching ten thousand who are not: such persons could become your future collectors, business partners, or biggest supporters.
- “Must I be perfect?” Certainly not. Most read articles emerge very often to be the most sincere. Your mistakes, your hardships, and the stuff that is unfinished are all parts of your story. What you take for failure in your writing may actually be what transforms your writing into something unique and original. While writing, opt for simple and clear narration instead of complex sentences and fancy words. Write from the heart, in your own language.
Living Proof That You Can Write: Our Art Interviews
Do you still doubt your ability to write? Still hesitant to express yourself in words? Well, here we have living proof of what artists can do with words: our Art Interviews section.
Art Interviews are conducted in writing; in this section, the written questions we send to artists are answered in their own valuable and unique perspectives. During this process, artists do not only describe their art; they meticulously write about their craft, passions, and sources of inspiration after deep consideration. They do this with great sincerity, opening their hearts and generously pouring their own sentences onto the page, as they come from within. (In this sense, we would like to sincerely thank every artist who adds value to our Artist Interviews for bestowing their precious time, attention, effort, and words.)
Each interview stands as testament to how an artist can express in words his/her own story, and fervor and vision. In a way, through these interviews, you witness how the artists are, in essence, writing their own art.
As an artist, these examples prove that when you want to inspire or tell a story, words can be a creative tool just like a paintbrush or a camera.
Real Ideas for Writing Topics
To end the doubt in your mind: “What should I write?”, here are concrete ideas to ensure you have ideas:
- Behind the Scenes: Tell the saga of your beloved work-from the first idea to its last form. What challenges did you face? What materials did you use? Open the doors of your studio and your artistic production process to the reader.
- Your Art Philosophy: Why do you create art? What is art for you? What message would you like to spread through your work? These deeply introspective and honest types of articles are probably the closest to the readers’ hearts.
- Educational Guides: Describe a special technique, an art tool, or a composition rule in plain easy steps. Sharing your knowledge positions you as an expert in your field. At the same time, by providing valuable advice to people new to art, you kindly contribute to the intergenerational transfer of knowledge.
- Event Diaries: Share your experience from an exhibition, workshop, installation, or an artist meeting. What did you learn and who did you meet?
- Sectoral Commentary: Share your thoughts regarding a current development in the art world. These may deal with current topics such as AI art or NFTs, or could be related to art history or movements. Providing sectoral commentary positions you as not just a producer but also as a thinker and a contributor.
- Work Analysis: Take some of your older works and re-evaluate them in the light of how you see things today. Explain what you thought then and how your viewpoint has changed. Great way to show off your artistic development for sure. You can, of course, include an iconic classical work or a valuable however not well-known work in modern art into your personal comments.
- Sources of Inspiration: Write an essay about a movie, book, song, or another artist’s work that has inspired you. This reveals your artistic taste and how you relate with the world.
Just remember to tell something of value to your audience in every article. Tell a real story or give them real value. Your view is unique because it’s yours. Now pick one of these ideas and get writing out.
Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Writing Guide
These easy steps are going to help write your own story even if you have never penned down a word in your life. Just like the first marks you make in a sketch pad, these steps will guide you through your first article with confidence.
Step 1: Think, Capture the Idea and Take Notes
Think deeply about your topic before writing it down. Open your mind, and write all the ideas down before they fly off. At this stage, it’s time to concentrate on keeping pace with your mind rather than achieving perfection. Those notes will be the raw material for your article.
Step 2: Create a Rough Draft
Now it is time to put your notes on paper. Write freely without worrying about any grammatical errors that may have occurred, or whether your choice of words is right or wrong. Follow the racing speed of your thoughts and get all your ideas jotted down on paper. And voila, your rough draft, which forms the basic skeleton of your article, is ready.
Step 3: Refine and Edit your Text
Your rough draft is in hand now. Now comes the part where you make your writing readable. You don’t have to be like a professional writer. Read your own writing aloud; mistakes and flow problems will become obvious. Then edit your words, sentences, and paragraphs to clarify and amplify their meaning.
Step 4: Take a Break and Finalize It
Once the editing is done, the next step is to allow some time to pass without your writing. Allow the mind to take all these ideas down. When you come back, you will reread your text and notice things that you did not see before. Do your final readings and complete your article. Remember, a good piece of writing gets better as it brews.
Some Basic Principles for Writing a Good Article
There are some technical details which can interest your reader and make your article truly effective:
Keep It Simple, Add Value
Articles should be written in simple and clear language. With every article written, expect to add concrete value to the readers.
Title and Introduction
- Title: This is the gateway to your article. Create a catchy title that arouses interest, summarizes the content of the article, and carries the verbiage of interest.
- Introduction: The first few sentences should draw the reader’s attention into the article. Ask a question, put up a shocking perspective, or start with a personal narrative.
Formatting for Optimized Readability
- Short Paragraphs: Internet users find huge chunks of text tiring to read. Keep your ideas in short and crisp paragraph form.
- Headings / Subheadings: Use appropriate subheadings to logically divide the entire article into section parts. This will allow the reader to scan easily and find the portion that interests him or her quickly.
- Bullet Points / Numbered Lists: Use bullet points to present complex information or a series of steps an easy way to digest text.
- Emphasis: Draw the reader’s attention by making important words or sentences bold.
Content Quality and Proofreading
- Originality: You need not be a pro of publishing, but make sure that the content you present is original enough to not be easily found somewhere else. Include your own experiences and views. Originality is the most valuable component of any piece of writing.
- Final Read: After you’ve written that article, be sure to read it aloud. This helps one catch spelling errors, sentences that don’t seem to make sense, and problems in flow.
Visual and Text Harmony
As a writer, you should not treat visuals as your portfolio but as part of a story. Make an effort to strike a good balance between visuals and text.
- Featured Image: Choose an image that reflects the character of the article and attracts the reader’s eye.
- In-Article Visuals: Use visuals corresponding to each section and subsections. Choose the right picture showing a process you’re describing, a detail, or a result. It adds flow to the story and enhances reading experience.
- Visual Description: Add context to the visual. E.g. to put the name of your work, specify the year, or put a brief note referring to that visual
You may insert the work’s name, date, or one-liner related to that visual.
Where to Publish Your Writing
After going through all those stages, your article is finally ready for publication. So where can you publish that well-cooked article of yours?
Below we have put down some options to publish your article on art. Each of these options comes with its own pros and cons. We suggest that you choose based on your evaluation of these factors.
1. Your Own Website and Blog
Publishing an article in the blog section of your own website strengthens your portfolio and makes a balance between the visuals and text. It is your way of telling the story behind your art directly to your audience. In this option, you have full control. But, remember, gaining visibility on the internet will come at that later time after much effort in intense and focused application. You have to ascertain that your website is published according to internet guidelines, and this may also involve technical support regarding software, design, infrastructure, and SEO.
2. Blogging and Publishing Platforms
Different platforms for publishing are available to facilitate written content producers in sharing their ideas with a wider audience. For instance, popular choices in this category include Blogger, Tumblr, and WordPress. Among all of them, Medium stands out as a credible choice for both professional and amateur writers. On an entire, broadened audience can be reached through this channel as compared to your personal website. Those kinds of platforms come very easy to use and do not need much technical know-how. But then your content could get lost there in the middle of so many subjects. You must also bear in mind that you would have to abide by the rules and publishing policies of the platform you are using.
3. Quality and Relevant Publications
Another option is to submit articles to online publications that present high-quality content on relevant subjects (that is, art, design, or photography). If you decide to take this route, be very careful to ensure that the publication is targeted to the subject directly related to your article and presents a high quality of content. In so doing, your carefully crafted content reaches a highly relevant and niche audience. Getting published in a reputable journal automatically raises your credibility. However, there would naturally be more competition in getting the article accepted through this approach.
Our Publication: Inspirational Art & Design Resources
Since the year 2019, we’ve been publishing high-quality content on a professional basis, solely devoted to art, design, photography, and film. Our editorial policy takes a reader-centric approach with a culture of collaboration and respect for art and the artist. Check our “Guest Writer” page for all the specifics if you wish to join our publication as a guest writer to share your story with us. We would love to showcase your sincere reflections on your art in our publication.
Become a Guest Writer
Write Your Artistic Story: Give a Voice to the Creative Community
Become a guest writer, write your art, and share your artistic story. We want to hear the unique story behind your creative process.
Words Are Visuals: Write Your Art
Writing, like art, takes a fair amount of practice and effort. Even if you aren’t the best of writers, you can still engage in the art of writing. The first one doesn’t have to be the greatest. Start discovering the writer who lives within you, along with the artist.
Everything starts with the story. This time, put down the brush and grab a pen instead.
Write your art; tell your story.
Headline Photo by Vitaly Gariev.
