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5 Mistakes to Avoid When Describing Your Art

Whether you are applying for the HUG100 or giving an answer at a party when someone says, “So, you are an artist? What kind of art do you make?”, describing your art in words can be notoriously difficult.

Most of us fall into either one of two categories — we say what we think people want to hear instead of what’s actually true to us, or we provide a vague answer and dismiss our value altogether.

So, this week, if you’re refining your artist bio for your HUG Profile or simply want to get better at describing yourself, here are our list of 5 things you should avoid when talking about your art.

Let’s dive in!

Mistake #1: Using an overload of jargon

🚫 Do not drown your audience in art-specific jargon.

For instance, “The artist's postmodern deconstructionist approach, juxtaposed with an avant-garde interplay of gender and a prismatic exploration of semiotics, evokes a transcendental paradigm shift, challenging the ontological boundaries of artistic discourse.”

Ummmm…..what?

👍 Do speak in clear, accessible language.

Imagine explaining your work to someone outside the art world. If they can understand, you're on the right track.

Artist Amber Vittoria’s bio is a perfect example of describing your art effectively while keeping it relatable to all.

Mistake #2: Being overly vague and abstract

🚫 Do not be overly abstract.

Being overly abstract is likely to leave your audience feeling perplexed. For instance, is your work really “revealing the light in places of darkness?”

👍 Do paint a vivid picture for your audience.

Illustrator and industrial designer Felicia Chiao shares concrete details about her artistic journey, influences, and goals. Her bio paints a vivid picture for her audience, referencing both her technique (i.e. “markers and toned paper”) and her inspiration, where she describes what it’s like to “find joy in mundane things”.

Mistake #3: Being overly grandiose

🚫 Do not make exaggerated claims about the significance of your work.

It is usually best to avoid expressions such as you being “one of the most important artists of your time”, unless you have been cited or acclaimed by a third party.

👍 Do reference accolades and achievements accurately.

You can still be modest while speaking proudly about your achievements. In this example, artist Brittany Pierre does this by referencing recognized names, which allows us to draw our own conclusions about the importance and impact of her work. Communicating honestly in a matter-of-fact way also helps to establish trust with your audience.

Mistake #4: Adopting lazy cliches

🚫 Do not fall back on overused phrases that lack originality.

Avoid verbose stand-ins for hard-to-articulate ideas.

For instance, “The artist grapples with the challenge of expressing the intangible essence of existential longing, employing a rich tapestry of color, form, and symbolism to evoke the profound and elusive nature of human yearning in their masterful composition.”

👍 Do challenge yourself to find unique and personal ways to describe your art.

Artist Camille Chiang is able to do so when describing how AI has served as inspiration and collaboration for her work. She describes AI as “a format requiring the artist to relinquish elements of artistic control to generate new creative forms.”

This language not only has the ability to captivate an audience, but is also descriptive of how AI is incorporated into Camille’s work.

Mistake #5: Claiming false range

🚫 Do not present a false sense of diversity in your portfolio.

Does your practice “range from digital art to film to sculpture to performance”? Or do you truly focus on just one or two?

👍 Do be genuine about the range of your work.

In this example, artist Fernanda Boccard by accurately describing her character art, where she "blends art, distinct characters, and compelling narratives.”

Putting This in Practice

So, now that you have mastered some basics around describing your art…now what? Might we suggest applying for the HUG 100?

About the HUG 100

Open to artists of all mediums and experiences, the inaugural edition of HUG 100 Artists to Watch will spotlight exceptional artists who are shaping the future of art and creativity.

This prestigious list will be determined by curators from both traditional and non-traditional art institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Christie’s, artnet, and more. It will also be printed and produced in Germany as a hardcover book, and be made available for global pre-order and permanently at the Danish Royal Library in Copenhagen.

Closing thoughts

Remember that describing your art effectively plays a key role in helping others understand and appreciate it. In applications for grants and open calls, they can also boost or hinder your success.

Lastly, practice describing your art at every chance you get! If it comes up in conversation, don’t be shy to put our tips to work and get more comfortable with describing your artistic practice.

Artist Grants & Opportunities

HUG-exclusive

• 🌊 $1,000 commission opportunity for wave-inspired artwork The company Superfluid is looking to commission wave-inspired artwork featuring their logo for an upcoming hackathon contest. Learn more and submit here.

• 💗 Get your artwork acquired by Pulsr! AI-powered discovery engine Pulsr is collecting on-chain artwork in collaboration with creator platform Zora. Learn more and submit here.

• 🐱 Calling all cat lovers! Artist and curator, Mani Saemi, is calling for cat-inspired artwork of any medium to be a part of a new NFT art collection, where part of the proceeds will go towards homeless street cats. Learn more and submit here.

• 🌎 Baroque-style artwork on Foundation Pixel Palette Nation is looking for Baroque-style artwork to be a part of their World on Foundation. Learn more and submit here.

• 🪐 Calling space-themed work for a new blockchain and earn $300-600 Join the Eclipse community, a new L2 blockchain on Ethereum. Selected artists will be commissioned $300-600 for space-themed work that will be made available as an open edition. Learn more and submit here.

• 👯‍♀️ Seeking awedacious women artists! AWEDACITY Conference 2024 is seeking 30 women artists to display at their upcoming virtual art exhibition, "BEING AWEDACIOUS". Learn more and submit here.

• 💰 HUG is offering $500 USD grants to two artists each month in exchange for unminted artwork to raffle off to our community. Learn more and meet all our HUG Visionaries here.

Other Opportunities

• HUG Artist Rebecca Rose curates a variety of opportunities from exhibitions to financial grants. Learn more here.

This Week’s Art Drops

Did you know that these are just 8 of hundreds of art drops on HUG? Get a full list of this week’s art drops from HUG here.