How to Talk About Your Art Without Feeling Weird

Most artists dread the question: 'So what do you paint?' The answer comes out fumbling, apologetic, or so abstract it means nothing.

Here's why it happens: we're too close to the work. And we're afraid of being judged.

But talking about your art is a skill, and like any skill, you can get better at it. Start here:

1. Practice one sentence. 'I paint large-scale abstract landscapes inspired by the high desert.' Simple, specific, visual.

2. Follow it with a story. The best conversations about art start with 'the reason I started making this was...'

3. Ask a question back. 'Do you have any art in your home?' People love talking about what they love.

You don't have to sound like a critic or an academic. The most effective thing you can say about your work is something true and personal.

Practice it at dinner parties, at gallery openings, in the checkout line. The more you say it, the more natural it becomes.