Writing As A Form Of Art by Tomasina DeLong

Personally, I am more familiar with writing as a form of communication rather than as a form of expression. Not because I lack creativity, but because I normally choose to express myself in a different way. As a visual thinker with a steady hand and a good eye, I express myself through a different form of art. Visual arts such as drawing and painting are unforgiving, but they have taught me to adapt and use what I have to rethink and redevelop my art. Unlike visual arts, writing involves a totally different process.

People have told me that writing is much easier than painting or drawing because you can easily delete mistakes by hitting the “undo button.”  I am unsure of how I feel about that statement because while it is true that you can easily undo errors during the writing process, the writing itself is also often placed under scrutiny. I feel more vulnerable while writing than I do while creating paintings or drawings. I think this is because I consider the ability to create art a talent, whereas I consider the ability to write well a necessity. Because of this, when I feel as though my art is sub-par, I can simply chalk-it-up to the fact that I didn’t have enough time, or that someone bumped my board. In the end, I know that I am a better artist than the people looking at my art, which boosts my self confidence, allowing me to feel sheltered, reducing my vulnerability. While this may seem very self-centered, it is how I think, because when comparing myself to others, I believe that there are more people able to write a complete sentence than there are people able to paint a realistic portrait of a live model.

I do, however, realize that there is more to writing than the phonics that children learn during elementary school. I recognize that my disregard for the talent and skill it takes to write is part of the reason why I choose to express myself through forms other than writing. Even though writing is not traditionally thought of when discussing art, it is a form of expression that should be respected because of the hard work and dedication put into writing, something that makes people want to come back for more.

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