How to Show Your Value

ADNA’s National Director Sarah-Mace Dennis has spent over a decade compiling these resources to support emerging and established creatives to showcase their creative lives.

Your professional identity is how others understand your work. Every artist, arts worker and screen practitioner has a story to tell. Your professional identity is how you share that with the world.

Your bio, CV, portfolio, LinkedIn profile, website and social media presence impact on how people perceive you and understand your work. Together, these materials help employers, collaborators, funders and communities understand what you do, what you care about and the value you bring.

A strong professional identity does not need to be polished in a corporate way. It needs to be clear, authentic and relevant to your future ambitions. Read on for tips on how to develop your biography, CV, portfolio, LinkedIn profile, career brand and online presence.

Biography

Your biography (bio) is often the first introduction people have to you and your work. A good bio explains who you are, what you do and what makes your creative practice unique. It should include key achievements such as professional positions, grants, residencies and awards.

Most importantly, your bio should reflect on what you are working on now and describe the creative future you want to build for yourself, or for your community (or both). Your biography should be adaptable for different purposes, from funding applications and exhibition catalogues to websites and social media.

Resources to help with your bio

CV

Your CV provides an overview of your professional experience, skills and achievements. Tailor it to the opportunity you’re applying for by highlighting the experience most relevant to the role or project.

Sample CV sections

The order and the sections that you include will depend on the role you are applying for.

Contact information: Full name, phone number, email, website portfolio, and location (city/country). Add social media handles like your Instagram only if it is dedicated entirely to your professional arts practice.
Education and training: Degrees, diplomas, workshops, mentorships and alternative schooling/training. Include the institution (if applicable), location, and year completed.
Relevant professional experience (if applying for a curatorial, arts industry or screen role): List the jobs or freelance contracts that apply to the role from most to least recent. You can include jobs that aren’t arts industry related, just highlight the relevant transferable skills.
Exhibition or performance record (for artists/performers/musicians): Exhibitions split clearly into solo and group exhibitions, listing the year, exhibition title (in italics), gallery or venue name and city. For performances, list the year, title (if applicable), venue and city.
List of films/games worked on (for screen practitioners): List the year, title, running time, production company and your role.
Commissions and public art: Projects completed upon request. Note the year, the commissioning body, and the location.
Grants, prizes and residencies: Recognition, funding, or studio time. Include the granting body or institution and the year awarded.
Bibliography and press: List articles, reviews, or catalogue essays that feature your work.
Written articles and reviews: List articles, reviews, journal articles or book chapters that you have authored.
Collections: Public, corporate, or private collections that hold your work.

Resources to help with your CV

Portfolio

Your portfolio showcases your creative practice through examples of your work. Select projects that represent the direction you want your career to take and include clear images, descriptions and your role within each project (if working in collaborative industries such as screen). You can also include a short statement that describes the key ideas behind your practice or project.

Use the links below for information on how to build your portfolio. You can then upload it to ADNA’s website.

Resources and portfolio inspiration

LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is one of the most effective ways to build professional relationships and showcase your work. It helps employers, collaborators and funders understand your skills, experience and interests while connecting you to new opportunities.

A strong LinkedIn profile is more than an online CV: it is your professional story and an important part of your personal brand. It shows who you are, what you care about, what you are known for and the unique value you bring to your industry.

Five Steps to Creating a Stand-Out Profile

1. Write a strong headline. Use keywords that describe the work you want to do, not just your current role. Think about the words employers or collaborators might search for.

2. Tell your story. Use your About section to explain what motivates you, the problems you solve, your current work, your achievements and what opportunities you’re looking for. People connect with stories, not job titles.

3. Showcase your creative work. Bring your profile to life by including a professional banner image, featured projects, images and video, PDFs and portfolios, and links to your website or creative practice. Your profile should reflect your creativity as well as your experience.

4. Focus on your impact. When describing your experience, highlight your achievements, the value you create and the skills you bring, not just your responsibilities. Use words that show the difference your work has made.

5. Grow your network. LinkedIn is more than an online CV. Follow organisations you admire, connect with people in your field, engage with their posts and share your own work. Building relationships is just as important as building your profile.

Resources to help create your LinkedIn profile

Example profiles

Your Challenge

Set aside 30 minutes to improve your LinkedIn profile this week.

Refresh your headline
Rewrite your About section
Add examples of your creative work
Connect with five people in your industry
Share one post about your work or an issue that matters to you

Remember, your LinkedIn profile isn’t just a record of your career, it’s an opportunity to tell your story and invite others to be part of what’s next.

Resource created by Sarah-Mace Dennis, September 2023-June 2025.