Have you ever wondered if you should write a blog and what it could do to help your career as an artist? Here is what I learned from my experience with blogging.

I started writing a blog about 5 years ago in 2012, with no clear idea of what the content would be, who my audience was and what it would help me with.

Over time, I started to get a better understanding of what that blog would be about. Writing a blog has definitely helped me in many different ways and I am sure it coud be beneficial for you as well.

What writing a blog can do for you?

Get into the habit of writing regularly

This one might be more relevant to me because English is not my first language, but still I believe that the more you write the easier it gets. Now if I have to write something for an application, an article, a book… it is easier than it used to be because this is something I am doing regularly for my blog.

You might also be interested in: Sell your Art online, reach new markets, learn how to use social media

Get into the habit of documenting your process

When you are writing a blog, you need pictures all the time, maybe videos. So you get into the habit of gathering all these materials, documenting your process.

Taking pictures is like writing, the more you do it, the better you become at it. The same goes with shooting videos and editing them.

Connect with artists and patrons all over the world

The Internet is word wide and open 24/7, so what you write can find an interested audience on the over side of the world. I am always very happy when people visiting Vancouver from another country pop up in my studio to say hi and recognize my work from my blog. We already have a connection because they got to know me a bit through my blog.

Share your knowledge

I really believe that you are doing something good by sharing what you know. In my case, I am sharing some of it for free on the blog and I am sharing some of it for money with my online classes. I like that balance and am happy that some content is free.

Sometimes artists are a bit worried that many other artists are going to copy their style and what they do if they start sharing their techniques online. I don’t think that is really a problem: First, most skills need to be practiced to be re-produced and just looking at someone else doing it doesn’t mean that you can do the same without investing the time to become good at it. Second, it is not rewarding to literally copy someone else’s style and the copy, if too literal, very often doesn’t have the same impact as the original.

You might also be interested in :” The fine line between inspiration and imitation”

Show some exemples of what you can do to book and magazine editors, classes organizers

Finally, your blog is  an online accessible archive of your work and techniques. If you ever have to show your work to an editor, you can always send them links to your blog.

You can link back to your website and more

Your blog is just one part of your online presence, you can link to many places from your blog:

• Your website and store
• Your social media accounts
• Your print on demand online stores
• Your  classes if you have some

Don’t worry if you don’t have time to write regularly

The most common argument I hear against writing a blog is lack of time. Well, I would say any little you can do is still better than nothing for two reasons. First no one is going to be upset if you don’t write too often, people will usually get upset if you write too much and become spammy.  Then, consider that it takes a lot of time for a blog to develop an audience and you might as well start now. The first 1 or 2 years are usually a bit slow so you have to be consistent and not get discouraged until it starts to get better.

Are you writing a blog? If not what is your biggest obstacle?