What are my influences (e. g. personal, historical, theoretical, cultural)? What themes, ideas, and subjects are in my art? What do I do? How do I do it? Why do I it? What do I want other people to understand about my art? Is there anything about my art that I do not want to discuss? Why?

It may be helpful to target your writing to one specific question instead of trying to answer multiple questions. For example, you may choose to write about why you use oil to paint. You can also write on multiple pieces of art paper instead of a notebook so that you can rearrange your ideas and make them more visual.

All of the arrows and/or dotted lines do not have to connect to the center of the diagram. Some of them may connect to each other. You can also use pictures or drawings to communicate your thoughts and answers.

Check out books, exhibition catalogs, and periodicals to find examples. If you are in school, ask your teacher for examples or talk to a librarian. Take note of the phrasing that people use to describe their work.

Pay special attention to any questions and critiques about your work. These things are often what people really want to know about your work. Consider discussing your work with both artists and non-artists. This will allow you to see your art from multiple perspectives. Another option is to have a friend interview you about your work.

Create sentences using the words and phrases that you have identified. You can combine and arrange your sentences until they flow in a logical order. You may need to repeat this process multiple times until you are satisfied with the outcome. Also think about the time and space that you would like the reader to view your work.

You can describe your art in any way that you choose. Just remember that you must support your description with the how and why you make the art. [4] X Research source

You do not have to write down every single step of the process that was used to create the work. Note the things that are most important. If you do something particularly unusual during your process, include that in your statement.

Focus on your story and why you create art. Talk about emotions and what you want to communicate with your artwork. If your motivations changed while you were working on the project, let the audience know that is well. Maybe you were influenced by a trip you took, a book you read, a movie, or a family member. All of these things help the audience get a better understanding of you and your work. For example, if you wanted your art discussed within the context of feminism, you should clearly outline that in this part of your statement. [7] X Research source

Your statement should add information that can not be gathered from looking at your art. Do not use the statement to simply describe what the audience can see with their own eyes. [8] X Research source Try not to use a quote from another artists or philosopher. If you do use a quote, do not use more than one and keep it short. Also be sure that you have correctly interpreted the quote. Avoid phrases such as “I am trying to,” “I am hoping to,” and “I would like to. “[9] X Research source Just state what you have done. Be as objective as possible. Your statement should not be used to promote your art or “talk it up. “[10] X Research source Let your audience interpret your work on their own.

Update your statement every time you add a new piece of work to your portfolio. [11] X Research source You may also need an artist statement when you apply for scholarships, grants, or schools. [12] X Research source Always check the guidelines when you are submitting it as part of an application.

Memorize your 25 word statement. This should be your response when people ask you what you do. Your one page statement can also be given to publicists, writers, and gallery owners when they need a description of your work.

You will need multiple rewrites and edits before you have a quality statement. Your statement should only include essential information.

In addition to getting feedback on your statement, also get feedback on the connection between your statement and your actual art. [15] X Research source The average art viewer will spend 5 to 15 seconds looking at your work. Your statement should be clear enough to convey a message in a very short amount of time.