Advice for Artists

This is a really good essay for artists on how to talk to laypeople about your art. Really it's about selling art, but selling art is different than selling cheeseburgers or life insurance. And a lot of artists are very insulated, they either clam up and can't talk about it at all, or they spew like a seven year old discussing dinosaurs. Either way, they aren't speaking from a common ground, and thus no real communication takes place. There is some great advice here on how to talk about your art without causing the listener's eyes to glaze over...

All you have to do is suggest, plant the seeds. The viewers will do the rest. They come to their own conclusions, and most importantly, feel confident that they understand the art (and they do, in their own unique ways). One thing to avoid is being vague, saying stuff like "different people respond to my art in different ways." Of course they do, but so what? Far too many artists use this copout, which does nobody any good-- it leaves viewers wondering whether or not their responses are "right" and it leaves the artists with no sales.