No Idea How To Write A Bio--please Help!

keep it short and simple. tell people what you specialize in and what they will find. you can modify it at any time. it looks better to be humble and talk in the first person. i know as a buyer i'm never impressed by people that gloat about all their awards. i like to keep a thought in their head as to what to expect when they see my artwork.

---Mike Savad

In 250- 400 words, how would you best describe yourself. A bit about who you are career wise, what does your art say, or would like it to say.... inspiration. Don't go too personal.... too much information might come back to haunt you later. But a bio is very important. Pick which person you want to write in (first or third) and stick to it, don't bounce around. The best way to write one is to write it and then leave it alone and look at it again in a day or two and see if you still like it.... nothing wrong with a few drafts...

Hope that helps.

Cheers, Barbara

Thank you so much Mike! I'm glad you said not to gloat because I'm uncomfortable with saying how "good" my artwork is. I will keep it short and sweet!

Thank you for responding, Barbara! You're right, I should just write it and see how it goes.

Hi and welcome, I'm fairly new as well. For me, the first turn off is when people's bio start with their full name followed with "has been painting for blah blah blah.., as though they are world reknown, it comes off as being stuck up, unapproachable, and stuffy. I say 1st person, not 3rd! Be friendly and be real. Just write a few sentences describing what you paint, how you got into it, and maybe what your intent is behind you art. Also, nothing too lengthy... ;)

oh never mind, I see you went 3rd person... lol. good for you! ;)))))

Haha I could still go 1st person depending on how others respond. :)

Go with your own instinct.... My Artist Statement is first and my Bio is third.... personally I believe a Bio should be in third person as it's not an Autobiography.... and if you get published they want bio's in third person... You need to feel good about it, regardless if someone else doesn't like it, you will never please all the people all the time... :-))

Cheers, Barbara

put it in first person, that honestly looks silly. it looks like you had help instead of just saying whats on your mind. so far she upload this and that. saying "she" so many times it's hard to read. i would leave classes out as well, since you want to be perceived as already accomplished, learning can seem more like a weakness like you don't know what your doing... i would stick with what you have, and instead of being an aspiring anything, become that thing and just add it in there.

---Mike Savad

...I guess I'll change it to first person? Thank you guys for all the input!

I need to agree with Mike, after reading it... I think what you are trying to say would be better in first person. Try it and see what you think.

Cheers, Barbara

you have to imagine that your face to face with the person, and generally when mike talks in third person it annoys others, mike thinks its funny to do, buy only if he remembers the syntax.

though it's better than others, where they start in the 3rd, switch to the 1st, and go back and forth like that.

the third person is better for newspaper articles and such, when your being described, and not introducing yourself like your doing here.

---Mike Savad

Artist Statements and Artist Bio's are two different things. The Statement is usually written in 1st person and a Biography is usually written in 3rd. Here are a couple links with explanations which may help on both.

http://www.artbusiness.com/artstate.html

http://www.lightspacetime.com/newsletter/how-to-write-an-effective-artist-biography/


It's up to you if you want to include just a Statement or just a Bio or both on your page here on FAA. It's better if you don't try to combine the two into one though, since each should be written differently.

I read your bio. I think it would sound better in 1st person, but otherwise I love it. You have a nice, relaxed, conversational tone that draws the reader in, and you kept it short, sweet and to the point. Lovely!

I hated writing my bio as well. It is so hard to write about oneself! I've started a blog though, so I'm getting better at it. Good luck!!

Alright, so I changed everything lol. Thank you all so much for the information! I think I might like it better in first person, but feel free to weigh in. I will definitely check out those links.

I like it Susan, that's a great start. Makes me want to know about your art. Read the links Phyllis provided, they are wonderful and will help you a lot.

Cheers, Barbara

looks great, and is a big huge improvement. The only line that doesn't seem to fit is the "imagine my surprise" line, which is more of a feeling/emotion and doesn't feel as pro as the rest. Very nice otherwise!

the only thing i would do is break it up into blocks of text, maybe the " i just" part should be on a new line.


---Mike Savad

I will make those changes! :)

I agree with Mike here. Keep it real, and keep it short. Let your personality show through. I like it to be a little window into the mind of the artist.
Not a novel about their life.

Great work you're doing.

I agree. Third person biographies seem pretentious, unless of course one may quote the source from which said biography came.

And in my opinion it is very difficult to have too many parenthetical breaks! :-))

Just read your bio, Susan. If it were me...I would add one more break starting with the third sentence.

Yet, it is fine the way it is....

By the way, I like your work.

I know I'm late to the party, but I prefer first person as well for the bio. Save third person for the press release!