Ever taken the Proust Questionnaire? Popularized (though not invented) by French writer Marcel Proust, the Questionnaire traces its roots to a parlor game believed to reveal an individual’s true personality with insightful and sometimes unexpected questions.
With a whopping 35 questions, the Proust Questionnaire is beloved by contemporary journalists, who frequently use it as an interviewing tool. While we adore the original Questionnaire, our updated version is intended specifically for working artists who want to share personal stories, practical advice, and philosophical thoughts on the nature of contemporary art. Below, you’ll find original questions from NOT REAL ART mixed with the most intriguing questions from the Proust Questionnaire. We call our version Q+Art.
Artists who participate in Q+Art receive media coverage in the form of a feature-length profile published on NOT REAL ART. Your work may also be eligible for our First Friday Exhibitions series. To be eligible for Q+Art, you must be an emerging or professional working artist with a strong portfolio of work. Creatives in other fields (writing, comedy, music, etc.) will be considered, though excellent visuals must be provided. At least one professional head- or studio shot is required. Applicants who submit beautiful or intriguing behind-the-scenes images of their practice (studio, gallery, lifestyle) will be prioritized. Please see our Q+Art with creative production company Pedestal or installation artist Mary Anne Carter for examples of what we’re looking for.
If, after reading the requirements and questions below, you think you’re a good fit, please email the editor with a short introduction and a link to your Instagram and/or website. In the absence of social media, please attach three images of yourself and/or your work. Remember: A quality headshot is required to be eligible. The headshot can be posed or candid, in a public place or your studio, but it must meet NOT REAL ART quality standards. All images must be at least 2000 px wide and require a photo credit.
Please note that although Q+Art has 50 questions, participants are only required to answer between 10 and 15 questions in as many or few words as they wish. Curious creatives are encouraged to email the editor should they have any questions before submitting.
Good luck! We can’t wait to hear from you.
Q+Art: The NOT REAL ART Questionnaire
- Which books, art-related or otherwise, belong on every artist’s shelf?
- Which cultural concepts, themes, or philosophies inform your work?
- Which talent would you most like to have?
- What is it that you most dislike?
- What is your greatest regret?
- If you could have dinner with any artist, living or dead, who would it be?
- What are you trying to express with your art?
- Is art school worth the money?
- What do you wish you learned in art school but weren’t taught?
- What is the best advice you’ve ever received? What’s the worst?
- What's your biggest barrier to being an artist?
- What does success mean to you as an artist?
- What role does the artist have in society?
- How do you maintain a work/life balance?
- What does the future hold for tech and AI in artwork?
- What are you working on that you’re excited about right now?
- What do you dislike about the art world? How would you change it if you could?
- What do you do to maintain your mental health?
- What role should money play in the art world?
- What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? The best?
- What is your motto?
- What is your current state of mind?
- If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
- What do you consider your greatest achievement?
- What’s something you keep in your studio that would surprise us?
- What’s your favorite creative ritual?
- How do you start your day?
- What is your most treasured possession?
- Which living person do you most admire?
- What is your greatest extravagance?
- What is your greatest fear?
- Cats or dogs?
- What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
- Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
- What is your most marked characteristic?
- What do you most value in your friends?
- Who are your favorite writers?
- Who is your hero of fiction?
- If you were a fictional character, who would you be?
- Which historical figure do you most identify with?
- Who are your heroes in real life?
- If you had to pick one, would you rather be a historically significant or commercially successful artist? Why?
- What role should money play in the art world?
- What’s your relationship with money?
- How do you deal with the ups and downs of the market?
- What does generosity mean to you as an artist?
- What does success mean to you as an artist?
- Is there a specific time you recall feeling marginalized by the art world?
- How does your geographical location affect your work and/or success?
- Please share with us a real-life art-world horror story.
