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Describe your project for an artist grant with a clear budget
Practice: Keeping the AI to your sources. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You're applying for a local artist grant. The project description box needs under 90 words. Say what you'll make and where it will be shown, give the timeline, show the budget math on one line, and request the amount the grant allows. Skip art-speak ('liminal', 'interrogate', 'juxtapose', 'explore the intersection'), and end with the line 'Wall permit: MB-2241 (approved)'. Write a prompt that gets that description.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 90 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part: "4 sentences under 18 words plus one budget line."
- Vague project. The AI writes about "celebrating community" without saying what, where and when. Try: Say it: "40-foot mural, Ferris Street underpass, with the high school art club; unveiling July 12."
- Requesting too much. The AI may request the full $4,000, over the grant's limit. Try: Add: "Budget line totals $4,000; request $3,000."
- Art-speak. AI grant writing loves "interrogate" and "liminal", which local reviewers won't follow. Try: Ban them: "No liminal, interrogate, juxtapose or explore the intersection." Then add: "End with: Wall permit: MB-2241 (approved)."
What a strong prompt includes
- Sets a word limit
- Says what and where
- Shows the budget
- Requests the cap
- Bans art-speak
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