I got an invitation from Google to test out the new AI chatbot called Bard. So far I’ve tried it out for a few different things, mostly to draw up outlines for potential blog posts. Today I asked it to outline a blog post on the topic of whether a creation story for artworks is important for art marketing. I wanted to know if the why behind a painting is important to people. Before I run off and spend a lot of time adding creation stories to all of my listings at the shop, lol.
Instead of just taking the draft and using it for my post, I took some of the points it gave and wrote the post around my opinion on those points. I would love to hear your feedback on the various points the chatbot gave.
A Creation Story Can Be Important
Bard says: A creation story can be an important part of art marketing, as it can help to build interest and excitement around the art, and it can also help to create a sense of connection between the art and the viewer.
I ask: Does anyone really care? When you’re trying to decide whether to purchase a piece of art, what are the reasons behind your decision? Here’s what kinds of things I consider when I want a artwork I’ve seen. And here’s a little background of the kind of shopper I am right now… short on money and frugal. Later on, I turn the thought process on its head and imagine myself on the opposite end of that spectrum.
Do I like it?
This is the first thing that determines whether I’m going to consider buying artwork. The rest of my criteria has no particular order of priority, but one might trump another under certain circumstances.
Can I afford it?
If I can’t afford it, then I’ll decide whether I want to begin a savings in order to eventually buy it. If no one else beats me to it.
Do I have the space for it?
I have a lot more space than I do funds, unfortunately.
The why behind a painting doesn’t even matter – yet
It isn’t until after I’ve already become interested in the art that I begin to wonder about the story of it. At this point, it likely wouldn’t do much to change my mind either way. But if the story is interesting to me, then it might add to the experience I’d have in owning the piece.
Art as Investment
Honestly, I don’t have the disposable income to buy art that I hope will be ‘an investment’. The artworks in that category are definitely out of my budget. But if I had an unlimited budget and were investing in art as investment, then none of the above criteria would matter to me. I would buy or not buy depending on whether I thought there was a good chance of being able to sell it later at a higher price. And that would depend on the artist, I suppose. Certain names would always have a buyer. But whether the buyer pays a higher price than I did is the gamble of it all.
Community and the why behind a painting
Bard says: In addition, the creation story can be used to create a sense of community around the art. When viewers share the story with each other, it helps to build a sense of connection and belonging. This can be a powerful marketing tool, as it can help to create a loyal customer base.
I agree with this point.
Turning everything on its head…
Bard says: When viewers know the story behind a piece of art, they are more likely to feel a sense of ownership and attachment to it. They are also more likely to be willing to pay a premium for it. This is because the creation story helps to create a sense of value and authenticity.
Now, if I imagine myself to be a person with disposable income and a love for collecting art, then it changes everything about my opinion on the why behind a painting. I would still collect based upon whether I like something or not, so that still would come first. But the question about whether I can afford it wouldn’t enter the process.
The why would play a larger role in my decisions on which of the arts I would be more likely to buy. The reason behind buying would shift into more of a desire to support artists with art and stories I resonated with, I think. Why is that?
My Conclusion About the Importance of the Why
I’m going to go with imagining myself as a person with disposable income. In that case, the why is important. Also, if an artist shares the story during the making of the art, I might encounter it more easily. I may have first found an artist because I was attracted to the story, and then after seeing the art, realized I love it. I may have never seen the art had I not first been attracted to the story. And how might I have encountered that story? Most likely by browsing social media or during a search on Google. Which leads to the next topic.
A practical reason for sharing the why behind a painting
It’s the words in the listing that grab the search engine wheels. And if there’s someone out there searching for something that I can describe in words that might make them stop to look at my art, then I think it’s worth a shot. So there we are. And now I’m off to add some hopefully interesting words to my art listings!
Also, Do I like Using Bard?
Yes, actually I do. Not because I want it to write my articles for me, but because it helps me to refine the questions I’m trying to answer. The better I ask the question, the better the results in the query. Also, it gives me points to ponder and ideas to expound upon. Like this post.
Contact Mad Rox: (479) 409-3429 or madison@madisonwoods and let me know which hat I need to put on 🙂 Madison for art, Roxann for real estate, lol. Or call me Mad Rox and have them both covered!
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Author/Artist Info
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Roxann Riedel is a salesperson for Montgomery Whiteley Realty, artist, owner of the only ginseng nursery in Arkansas, and the author of books and this website. Madison Woods is the pen-name she uses for her creative works. She’s a self-taught artist who moved to the Ozarks from south Louisiana in 2005. Her paintings of the Ozark-inspired scenes feature lightfast pigments from Madison county, Arkansas. Her inspiration is nature – the beauty, and the inherent cycle of life and death, destruction and regeneration. Wild Ozark is also the only licensed ginseng nursery in Arkansas. Here’s the link for more information on the nursery
There’s always a discount for paintings on the easel 😉
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