How to Talk About Your Art by Catharine Bramkamp
Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Catharine Bramkamp as she shares with us “How to Talk About Your Art.” Enjoy!
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“The process of doing is the process of learning, and creativity is the act of turning experience into something new.” — John Dewey, philosopher and educational reformer.
Why Artists Struggle to Explain Their Work
Artists — even professional artists — are terrible at articulating what we do and why it’s important.
When asked, we fumble, mumbling generalities like, we sort of paint, or we write books you’ve never heard of, or we knit, or we are working with the city on a project.
As if the three-story knitted sculpture hanging in City Hall isn’t worth mentioning by name.
This is not false modesty; artists are notoriously vague about our work for a reason.
The first is that we want to avoid jinxing the project by explaining it, and second, we honestly haven’t a clue how to describe our work.
When Talking About Art Drains the Magic
Jinxing a project is real.
Writers know not to waste too much breath discussing a potential plot line or describing freshly drawn characters.
Talk about a book too much, and you risk dissipating the energy and the magic.
Too much talk deflates even a trial balloon.
After a lengthy conversation over lunch, we return to our desk and … nothing.
Just a limp rubber shell.
All the energy has leaked away.
Talking often replaces writing.
A deep dive over your book outline makes for great lunch conversation, but it may be disastrous when we return to our desks and realize all the ideas have been stated, reviewed, and are now finished.
When People Ask What You’re Doing
As self- protective as our artistic reticence is, it doesn’t help when our sister asks, “So what are you doing?”
You search your frozen brain for an adequate answer: how to express the art without risking it?
How to tell your sister you need to leave at 2:00 PM because the work is calling and you don’t want to disappoint your Muse?
You rehearse an erudite response in your head, but all that comes out of your mouth is something unimpressive like “I’m working?”
And if you can’t come up with something more compelling than that, she feels free to drop off the dog.
Again.
Artists are not skilled at discussing their art because creating something new is far easier and more compelling than explaining what just happened.
Yet when we are in the middle of a project, it’s so difficult to express, because we don’t KNOW what we’re doing.
And just try explaining how not knowing is the joy of doing art.
The Problem With Explaining the Process
Remember those classes when we were required to “show our work?”
The answer didn’t matter as much as the process — assigned steps to write out, as if solving another word problem would lead to any skill other than how to earn a passing grade.
In your developing sixth-grade soul, you knew you would never, ever use this pointless skill again.
Until your first grant proposal.
Damn.
Who knew adulting was all about word problems?
For grants, for shows, for proposals, you must outline your process, articulate your goals, and if a train leaves the station at 3:46 AM traveling at 63 miles per hour. . . bah, I’ll drive.
And then your sister calls about the dog.
And you mumble something about how your work will expand the universe and contribute to world peace.
And she’s not buying it at all.
Damn again.
You need the art to expand your own soul and make meaning in your life.
Yeah, and you can do that any time, she retorts.
No, actually you can’t; it must happen right here and right now.
Back to word problems.
How to Share Your Art Without Overexplaining
What can you say about your art that doesn’t sound pompous or obnoxious?
To another artist, you can say with a wave of your hand, indicating the universe, “I’m working on a project.”
And the artist will understand.
But family and friends do not understand.
Unlike a long division problem, you have options.
Don’t show or discuss your current project, but do find a project you can show.
Do you have a completed poem that most people will understand?
Do you have a small and finished quilt?
Can you find a good example of your painting or your latest song?
Include family and friends in your art by offering a small token of your work.
Invite them to the dance recital.
Share photos of recent cosplay costumes.
Send a small clip of your symphony rehearsal.
Photograph the painting.
Share the digital collage.
Ask for feedback.
Do you like this color?
Did you appreciate this sound?
Would you use this pot?
Would you read this story?
Sharing Without Asking for a Critique
You are not soliciting real critiques.
For the real deal, look for others in your specific field.
For writing, a writing coach; for art, a professional artist.
What you are doing here is sharing just enough to bring the non-artists to your side.
That’s all.
Listen to their opinion (there is too much red in this story; this doesn’t sound like the Grateful Dead), then smile and ignore it.
You are not sharing art; you are sharing the joy of creating.
When someone asks, what are you doing?
You say, “I’m working on a poem cycle; here are a couple of lines, What do you think?”
They are flattered you asked, and confused by your work.
So are you.
Now you all can move on to discussing the weather or their stiff knee, whatever.
But the message is sent.
They can now at least visualize what you are doing with your time.
And maybe, just maybe, they will respect it.
It may take a couple of tries, but it will work.
Learn More
Look for my new book — Take Up Space — Art is Your Second Act.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catharine Bramkamp is a successful writing coach, Chief Storytelling Officer, former co-producer of Newbie Writers Podcast, and author of a dozen books including the Real Estate Diva Mysteries series, and The Future Girls series. She holds two degrees in English and is an adjunct university professor. After fracturing her wrist, she has figured out there is very little she is able to do with one hand tied behind her back. She delights in inspiring her readers.
