How to Write a Great Artist Bio
Writing an artist bio can be challenging, but also a powerful tool for your promotional needs. While it might seem easier to just say you were raised by a pack of wolves that taught you how to be creative and move on, it will not be as effective or informative for your current and potential fans. So, we have a few tips here to help write an engaging bio for use on your Redbubble profile and even social media accounts.
"Wolf Lullaby" by flyokay
Your artist bio is not simply about you, but your style and what you create. Ideally your bio will entice readers into exploring your art and learning more about you. A professional artist bio is a few paragraphs at most and focuses not only on your art, but also facts about you as an artist. It’s a good idea to create a long-form bio that you can add to your personal website, but it also helps when creating smaller bios that you can use on various profiles. This way you have the information ready and can summarize to make smaller versions.
An artist bio is not to be confused with an artist statement, which is more about your concepts, ideas, and the techniques that you use to create your work. A good artist bio acts like a summarized resume, and may even include some portions from your statement.
It’s best to write your bio in third-person, this way it can be shared easier without having to be changed from a first person point of view. It also looks better when you share your profile on social media accounts. However, there will be a time when you want to create a first-person bio as well. Let’s take a look at a few examples of each type of artist bio.
Long & Short Form Bio
The long-form bio is one you would add to your personal website and should be 300-500 words. In this bio you should include your place of birth, your education, where you are currently living, and any publications/websites your art has been featured. You might also want to add what types of materials you use, reoccurring themes, and even your influences. It’s this type of bio that is commonly used for publicity and promotional materials.
The short-form bio is a summarized version of the long-form and will ideally be around 120 words. It is this type of bio that is most commonly used on websites, articles, and even interviews.
Redbubble Profile
In your Account Details, you will see two fields “Public Profile” and “Short Bio”. The former should be similar to your short bio introducing readers to who you are, where you’re located, and any details about your techniques and style. This area can include links and you might even notice some artists add images in this area. If you do add images make sure they don’t distract from your bio.
The “Short Bio” field should be about 140 characters as it will now be shared on social media along with your cover photo. Matthew Dunn’s profile has a great example of an effective bio. It’s informative, talks about his accomplishments, and most importantly helps to give his profile a solid and complete feel. This blog post on making your portfolio stand out has some more great examples of Redbubble bios. It’s a good idea after your write your bio to preview your profile and see how it looks. You may even want to share it with someone who knows you and have them take a look and give some feedback.
Social Media Profile
Here is an example of Kelly Gilleran’s Instagram profile. You’ll notice it has her name, where she’s located, and what type and style of art she creates. Short and effective. It also has a link to her Redbubble shop. This is a great example of a short bio that can be used on a variety of social media profiles.
Final Tips
- Your bio should be a living document and updated frequently, this will also help keep it fresh.
- Try to avoid using complicated “artspeak”, write in a clear manner that is informational.
- Make sure to check for spelling and punctuation errors. You don’t want anything to distract the reader from learning about who you are.
- It’s good have a bit of humor in your bio, but don’t add too much that your profile feels unprofessional.
- Create a strong first sentence. Hook the reader fast so that they continue to read and then move on to the art.
Update your bio, add it to your profile and social media accounts and share any tips you have in the comments below.
