7 Reasons Why Every Visual Artist Should Start a Blog

Many people have said that blogging is dead, but that isn’t entirely true. Yes, there are many other platforms to promote yourself on—such as Instagram and TikTok. And, of course, the internet no longer exclusively focuses on text. But many people would still prefer to read than watch content, and writing can help you reach a new audience that you didn’t know existed.

If you’re a visual artist, blogging is an excellent way to share your work with the world. And some may find that writing fits their personality better than constantly being on camera. This guide will tell you why you should start blogging as a visual artist.

Social media algorithms have changed a lot in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Short-form videos have become mainstream, and criticism of what some claim to be the TikTok-ification of social media is common. As a creator, keeping up with algorithmic changes on social media can be creatively and emotionally draining.

Of course, blogs aren’t exempt from algorithmic changes; Google releases thousands of search engine updates every year. However, you won’t always need to drastically overhaul the type of content that you post to a new medium you may not like.

This isn’t to say that you should ditch social media altogether. Pinterest has many benefits for bloggers, for example—and so do other platforms. Instead, we’re saying it’s a good idea not to put all of your eggs in one basket.

2. An Additional Stream of Traffic

When starting a blog, you probably won’t reach immediate success. But once you’ve established yourself, you can add a reliable stream of additional traffic to your work.

As you publish more blog posts, you’ll learn how to improve your site’s search engine optimization (SEO) and make yourself more visible. You will also discover your unique style and tone, and this will enable you to build a fanbase of people that like both you and your art.

While you’ll naturally learn more about growing traffic and SEO when blogging regularly, you can reduce the learning curve by actively consuming content in these areas. We’ve listed some of the best websites to learn SEO if you’re interested in doing that.

3. Future Earning Potential

People who choose a particular platform solely for the possible financial aspect—and not because they actually enjoy using it—will burn themselves out in the long run. However, if you plan to make a living from your visual art, thinking about potential ways to make money is a wise idea.

Once you’ve been blogging for a while, you have several opportunities to increase your income. You can write for other websites, but even if you choose not to, you can generate money from your blog once your traffic is high enough.

Affiliate marketing is one of the most famous examples of blog monetization. When you add affiliate links within your articles, you earn a small commission when someone buys from them. You can also include sponsored brand content and sell products and courses in an online shop.

If you decide to sell products through an online store on your website, you should ensure that your site is responsive in this respect. It’s worth looking at WordPress themes for building a modern e-commerce store if you use that provider, or doing the same for whichever website builder you prefer.

4. Improve Your Personal Branding

While skills and knowledge are important, people ultimately interact—and do business—with people they like. With that in mind, personal branding is imperative if you’re a visual artist. When done correctly, blogging is an amazing way to build rapport with your audience (and to attract people who are genuinely excited about what you produce).

By starting a blog as a visual artist, you can talk directly to your audience and grow a connection over time. You can also use writing to express your personality, and because you know the language of your industry, you can weave that into your work.

You can also design your website to ensure that it reflects who you are in an authentic manner. You’ll find several customizable templates on every website builder, including Wix and Squarespace. Moreover, you can choose fonts and an aesthetic that instantly tells everyone who you are.

5. Use Your Visual Art Skills in a Different Way

The content on your blog is important for keeping people around; if you don’t provide value, you won’t incentivize users to return to your site. But at the same time, having a website that isn’t visually appealing—especially if you’re a visual artist—can also work against you.

Your blog is an amazing opportunity to show others how good you are at your craft. And considering that you’re considering starting a blog about visual art, we can probably say with a degree of certainty that you’ve got an eye for aesthetics.

While you must think about things like user experience, you should find it easier than most people to create a beautiful and responsive website. With this in mind, you have a significant upper hand that can help you grow your blog more quickly.

6. Improve Your Writing Skills

Sure, you’re promoting your visual art—and how your blog looks is important. But ultimately, you’re going to be writing a lot if you plan to build a successful blog in the long term. You’ll learn several supporting skills, but writing persuasively is perhaps the most important one.

Learning how to write well can open several doors. It’s vital for effective marketing, and you can later transfer these skills to social media and other platforms.

Gaining writing skills is also one of the reasons why artists should start an online newsletter.

7. Avoid Being on Camera

Video content isn’t going away anytime soon, and you can provide significant value to your audience with platforms like YouTube. And while you can certainly teach yourself to become more proficient on camera, you might simply not enjoy posting content of this kind.

If you don’t want to record yourself, blogging is an excellent way to build a connection with your audience. Proper spelling is still important, but you can effectively type in the same way that you would speak—in the same way that you’re reading this passage right now.

Blogging Can Boost Your Visibility as a Visual Artist

Writing still is, and always will be, an important skill. And even though other content creation mediums are more popular, many people still prefer to consume content of this kind—hence why books still sell in an increasingly digitized world. As a visual artist, you have a huge opportunity to appeal to your audience while also picking up a useful new skill.

Blogging is a competitive space, but so are most other online mediums. If you continue iterating and improving, you’ll increase your chances of being successful in the long run. And just as importantly, you can have a lot of fun going through the process of building something meaningful.