Writing as art
Being an artist is not easy; being a writer is doubly difficult.
Most of us can't dance, paint, sing, act, or play an instrument well enough to consider ourselves artists in those regards, but "anyone" can write.
Moreover, writing is the tool of politicians, advertisers, and religious propagandists, giving writing a bad rep--it's not art, it's exploitation.
And in addition to these somewhat discouraging realities, writers suffer from the knowledge that all their words will never be enough to express all that they feel, think, and want to share with the world.
When I write, I am alive in a way that fills me with hope, optimism, and joy--when it doesn't fill me with the desperate understanding of how far short I am falling in terms of perfection.
Leonid Pasternak - The Passion of creation
So I send out a message to everyone who writes--writing is art, but it's also craft that can be enhanced by developing the technical skills that convey the essence of your artistic impulses. Don't be discouraged by your own lack of skill or by someone else's lack of appreciation.
Keep writing. Reach deep into yourself and make friends with your own artistry. Honor your art through determined practice and deliberate development of your media of expression. Just as dancers progress from simple exercises to full-blown mastery of their art, make time to practice and evaluate your growth as an artist.
Fully accept what you write, however flawed it may seem to you. It's your art and your gift to the world.
Most of us can't dance, paint, sing, act, or play an instrument well enough to consider ourselves artists in those regards, but "anyone" can write.
Moreover, writing is the tool of politicians, advertisers, and religious propagandists, giving writing a bad rep--it's not art, it's exploitation.
And in addition to these somewhat discouraging realities, writers suffer from the knowledge that all their words will never be enough to express all that they feel, think, and want to share with the world.
When I write, I am alive in a way that fills me with hope, optimism, and joy--when it doesn't fill me with the desperate understanding of how far short I am falling in terms of perfection.
Leonid Pasternak - The Passion of creation
So I send out a message to everyone who writes--writing is art, but it's also craft that can be enhanced by developing the technical skills that convey the essence of your artistic impulses. Don't be discouraged by your own lack of skill or by someone else's lack of appreciation.
Keep writing. Reach deep into yourself and make friends with your own artistry. Honor your art through determined practice and deliberate development of your media of expression. Just as dancers progress from simple exercises to full-blown mastery of their art, make time to practice and evaluate your growth as an artist.
Fully accept what you write, however flawed it may seem to you. It's your art and your gift to the world.
Comments
Post a Comment