Notice Me! (or why you should get an art blog)

Artists & Illustrators Magazine
Student Supplement "Notice Me!" (September 2010)

Notice Me! is the name of the Student Supplement produced for the September 2010 Edition of the Artists & Illustrators Magazine in the UK.  This included an interview with me concerning how students can get recognised by using a blog to promote their art.

Or as the cover described it in typical magazine style "Talent and Celebrity - a Fairytale Marriage: Blogger, curators and gallery directors reveal the recipe for success".  They didn't tell me about the headline - but it's certainly eye-catching and goes with the title of the supplement! ;)

Inevitably,  as you all know I write long whereas Editors prefer short and cut copy supplied to the space available.  So although key points were highlighted in the supplement, I thought I'd let my regular readers see what I had to say - even if I am "preaching to the converted"!

You can find the first part below with the second part later this week.

Why would an art student be wise to set-up a blog in preparation for a career in that field?

More and more people are active online.  More and more galleries and art fairs have websites and promote their artists online.  More and more artists are recognising that it's essential to have a website and many now also have a blog. 

Bottom line - emerging artists need to be digitally capable.  A blog is a good way of displaying your work online and talking direct to people who may be interested in your work. 

It's best to treat a blog as if it were a permanent Private View at a solo exhibition of your work or a newsletter.  All the questions you might get asked at a PV can be answered on your blog.  Everything people want to know about you and your work can be introduced on your blog. 

How simple would it be for a budding artist to set up their own blog?

It's extremely easy to set up a blog - if you read the help pages!   Webware like Blogger is also free which means it's a very cost-effective option for promoting your art.

I'd now suggest that student artists start with a blog because blogging webware can have static pages which can contain basic information such as artist's statement, galleries, exhibitions etc while posts can provide an update on what you are up to.

However remember that setting up a blog is a bit like becoming a member of Facebook.  Remember everything that goes online stays online and can come back to haunt you!  My tips would be:

• DO get a blog to get your name online and your artwork seen
• DO think about the audiences you might be trying to impress in the future when setting up your blog and creating content.
• DON'T spoil your chances by putting anything up on your blog which you wouldn't want a future gallery or collector to see.

From experience, how beneficial have you found your blog to be?

Blogs are very helpful for raising your profile and demonstrating your track record.  They benefit artists in various ways which depend on your interests, the content you produce and the audience you attract as subscribers or followers.

• Many artists have been able to sell their work online by linking up their new artwork to an e-commerce site and/or paypal.  Some artists make a very significant income from selling art online.  However make no mistake, they're a small proportion of those who try.
• Artists who are able to demonstrate that their art has a serious following online on their blog have been succesful in attracting the interest of good galleries
• I review art competitions and art exhibitions and am now accredited as "press" by a number of major galleries and museums.  That means I get sent press reviews and images, get to go to some of the top awards ceremonies/dinners and can photograph exhibitions when the public is not there.

You can find out more on my resource site Blogging for Artists - Resources for Artists.  This includes links to other useful blog posts about blogging for artists.

Are you an artist and want a blog? Or maybe an artist who wants to work on improving your blog? You'll find links on this site to sources of advice and information relevant to blogging for artists and blogging by artists.

It focuses first on blogging basics, then on blogging for artists. Finally it covers some problems encountered by artists who blog and how to deal with them

 
Note:  Artists & Illustrators (A&I) magazine is a best-selling magazine in the UK for professional artists and aspiring amateurs. It provides both inspiration and practical advice to its readers through features, profiles and interviews of accomplished artists or new talent and previews of forthcoming show

Links:  Art Magazines & Journals - Resources for Artists