Struggling to name an artwork? You aren’t alone.
I’ve had quite a few people confess that their Untitled artwork is more about feeling intimidated or overwhelmed to choose a name for their art
rather than it being integral or important to the meaning of the work.
I fear we often become too invested in the work and take it all so seriously, we lose the lightness and joy we found while making it. This extends to the naming of works.
So in honor of some creative play I offer several strategies you can use to help you come up with ideas for your work.
Here are the links I mentioned:
https://noemata.net/pa/titlegen/
http://www.mit.edu/~ruchill/lazycurator.html
Please remember: there is no such thing as perfect. And you can change your mind, which means you can change the title, too!
Do you have a strategy that helps you name your art? Share your experience in the comments below.
I often struggle with naming my paintings. I have a friend who is really good at naming her work, so sometimes I’ll send photos to her and see what she comes up with. I may not use exactly what she send back, but it often helps me look at the work less literally.
Those title generating sites could also provide interesting starting points for new artwork, especially for more abstract or expressive art. I got some really “interesting” visuals in my head from some of them!
Friends can be a great resource for something like this. I love your idea of starting abstract works by using the generator websites! Great idea Charmaine!
Generally I try to name it based on a connection with my main idea for the painting, if I am doing abstract and painting based on feelings then I usually go with something related to that.
Thanks for sharing Kayie!