Today I am inspired by something Onye Ozuzu wrote in her artist profile on the blog this past winter:

Be visionary, entrepreneurial: How can your skills add value in the world you see around you? Think outside the box. Develop the ability to articulate (talk, describe) how your dance abilities can work in many ways in many contexts.

Whether you are a seasoned artist or a college undergrad, consider doing a free write on this topic for 5-10 minutes. Then, read it aloud to yourself, or share in pairs within a college course. Underline the parts of your writing that feel strongest to you. Set the writing aside.

Pick up the writing again another day, or next week. Start with a clean sheet of paper. Re-write those sentences you underlined. Then, can you add on from there – elaborating, articulating, clarifying? Again, read aloud or share with another person. 

What did you learn from this exercise? How might you use this writing in the future – for a cover letter or grant application? What language might be useful on your personal website? Do you have an artist statement, or teaching artist statement, on your website?

Some examples of artist statements:

Camille A. Brown

Anna Halprin

Alice Sheppard

Ashley Thorndike-Youssef (teaching artist statement)

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