So You Want to Start an Art Blog?

'Look and You Shall Find'               18x24           pastel     ©Karen Margulis SOLD

Yesterday my daughter asked me if I ever got tired of blogging.  Great question.  I have had this blog since July of 2005 and I have posted a painting just about every day.  It has definitely evolved and since I started the blog just a few months after I discovered pastels it is a visual diary of my art journey.  The blog is such a part of who I am as an artist that I can't imagine not posting.  The benefits and joy I have received more than make up for the effort to keep posting new work and writings.

My very first post from July 2005

So if you have been thinking about starting a blog don't put it off any longer. It is not hard to do. It is free and the benefits are many! 

Whether you are a beginner, a hobbyist or a professional artist a blog can help.  Maybe you have considered starting a blog because you 'should'. Because everyone else is. But maybe you don't really want to or think that it will be a waste of time. But for those of you who want a blog and those who are still on the fence let me try to persuade you.

• A blog is a great way to have a personal diary of your art. You can see your progress unfold in front of you which is very encouraging. You don't even have to share your blog with the world. You can make it private and let only those you choose have a peek.

• A blog can help hold you accountable for your goals. Think of it as a teacher giving you an assignment. I always do my assignments but if left to my own devices I will find a hundred other things to do instead.I know that if I have to 'report' to my blog I will.

• A blog is a great evaluation tool. Taking photos of your work and seeing them on a computer screen can often expose problems with your paintings. It is like looking at a painting in a mirror or upside down. I don't know how many times I have loaded a photo of a painting and saw things I needed to change. 

• If you do want to develop an online presence a blog is a must.  A blog can be the cornerstone of your online strategy and many can be set up to look like a website using your own domain name.

• It really isn't as time consuming as it might seem.  You can do all of your weekly posts at once and save them in draft form to be published when you want. You don't have to blog everyday...just when you have a small chunk of time.

• You don't have to write extensive posts. If you don't like to write don't worry. Just share some information about the painting. We are interested in your techniques and inspiration. My blog has changed from a few words to a more educational format over the years but do what you can. (it's better than nothing at all)

There are a few popular platforms for blogs and all are not too difficult to navigate. I Use Blogger though I have a Wordpress and Tumblr blog as well. I like them all and will review them in more detail in future posts.  

Let me know if you have any blog related questions and I will try to address them in my posts!

Today's painting is a larger version of a painting I have done on a smaller scale. It has a very special meaning for me and wanted it larger than life!