Writing your artist statement can sometimes feel so elusive that we end up writing something vague. One tip to make your statement stronger is to banish the phrase “I am interested in.” In his essay “No Longer Interested,” Steve Lambert writes that this is not only a matter of good writing but also affects the work we make:
“[Artists] make work that challenges our view of everything – from shape and form to concepts and beliefs. Most artists don’t stop at being interested, they are truly changing the way we perceive, think, and act in the world – thus changing our very reality – in deliberate ways. To believe any less continues to falsely undermine and diminish the power of artists and art in our culture.”
So, how do you do this in practice?
To use the active voice, position yourself as doing an action. Rather than saying, I am interested in photographing the effects of climate change on our everyday environment; say: I photograph the effects of climate change on our everyday environment.
Here are some general rules.
Ditch phrases that are passive and undercut your work:
- I am interested in
- I try to
- I want my work to
Replace with the active voice and assertive ideas:
- I photograph/paint/sculpt/make
- My work documents/illustrates/questions
Just by editing out the passive voice, you can have a stronger and more forthright statement.
Having trouble ditching the passive voice in your artist statement? We can help with your writing or help improve what you already have.