Do You Have An Artist Statement? Make Coming Up With One Your Valentine's Day Resolution

The 2012 Year of the Dragon stamp

I liked this Brian Klems' tip from Writers Digest, and while Valentine's Day is closer to Chinese New Year (Happy Year of the Dragon, everyone!) I think it's well worth considering:

Your New Year artist statement: You do have one, don’t you?

From those first drafts to that Pulitzer Prize party, I believe that your writing should be inspired by something much deeper than getting rich or getting famous or getting even with your ex. It should cohere with your own personal vision or belief system.


This is a good time to look within yourself and ask some tough questions about what you write—and why. How much does creative writing actually matter to you? Why do you even bother? Your honest and highly personalized answers will help you write a brief artist’s statement. I’m not talking anything Hallmark or biblical here. I’m talking about a simple, heartfelt statement that will sustain you over the next year. It will help you to balance your writing with working and parenting and commuting. It will serve as your daily reminder, your check-in with your creative self.

For illustrators as well as writers, I think this is a great exercise:  What's your Artist Statement?

And yes, please share it in comments.

Here, I'll be brave and share mine first:

"My mission is to write the books that had I read them as a kid would have changed my life." 

There.  That wasn't so hard.

Now it's your turn.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

ps - This post is a great illustration of how the 2012 Comment Challenge worked:  I went to Linda Gerber's blog (she participated in the challenge), and the Writer's Digest article was a link in one of her posts.  This blogging and social media stuff is cool, isn't it?

pps- you can find the stamp image and more info about the 2012 Year of the Dragon design by Chen Shaohua here.

ppps - Happy Valentine's Day!