“Happy talking talking, happy talk

Talk about things you like to do “ ~ From Rogers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific

It can be pretty scary thinking about how to talk about your art. It’s that deer in the headlights kind of feeling. Being in the spotlight can make you feel very vulnerable. You are putting yourself out there, you can’t hide behind your art on the wall.  

Many galleries ask you to be able to give a workshop or artists talk when you put in an exhibition proposal. This gives added authority to your exhibition or project proposal.

So how do you make this less daunting?

The best way to create a talk with ease, is to know the 4 things about your art: your Who, What, How and Why.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a 2D artist, sculptor or multi-media installation artist, the same 4 principles apply.

These are the essential ingredients for a 2 minute “elevator” pitch or a longer talk about your art on the wall.

People are curious, they want to know the “back story”. This doesn’t mean you have to reveal your life story. What you need to do is build a connection between yourself as an artist and your audience. What do you want them to feel? What makes your art and your techniques unique and different? Why have you made art in this way, or about this theme?

When you learn to speak with authority about who you are and what you do, people will come to know, like and trust you. This can then lead you into a deeper relationship together.

You can show them your Instagram account. They can follow you on Linked-in or Tik-Tok. They can check out your website if you have one and subscribe to your newsletter updates. These are the foundational blocks for building a relationship both with the galleries where you exhibit and the audience who are the potential buyers of your art. They may even become collectors of your art.

It starts with knowing what you do and why, connecting your art to your own story. You have everything already inside you, your art is about bringing out your best self-expression of you at this particular time. Your art, like you will grow and evolve over time. You can only get better and more accomplished in your techniques. But you have to start somewhere.

So turn the camera on yourself and start talking. You can always delete it later. It might take 4 or 5 goes until you get comfortable taking about yourself.

Speak like no one is listening and you will get better at it.  Practice consistently and soon it will become easier. The only thing standing between you and your future confident self is practice and time. You can do it!