I recently came across an article about how art can improve your writing. I was intrigued; as an art lover, I was excited to find out how one obsession could affect the other. Unfortunately, the article didn’t offer anything particularly insightful.
Some of the advice was good, if basic: “Show Don’t Tell,” “Find the Humanity,” “Copy the Old Masters…Then Find Your Distinctive Style.”
Some was puzzling: “Keep it Interesting.” Well, yes, that’s the idea–I doubt any writer is deliberately going for a boring story.
The worst advice, IMO, was this: “Make it Beautiful: This is the greatest lesson to me. Artists – first and foremost – aim for BEAUTY. As a writer, don’t forget to reach for the beautiful in your imagery, language, story, even characters… ”
No. Just no.
Some artists strive for beauty and create masterpieces. Some explore the ugliness of the world and do the same. Never mind the sheer subjectivity of a concept like beauty, if all art were “beautiful,” how dull would that be? And writing is no different. Writers who aim only for beauty not only won’t be able to “Keep it Interesting,” but will also lose most of the humanity they’re supposed to be finding. Focusing on what’s lovely is the best way to miss what’s interesting.
So, can art help your writing? I think so. Creative and artistic pursuits are complementary; the more you immerse yourself in art and creativity, the more inspired your work will ultimately be. I also believe there’s one key rule that applies universally: do it with passion, or don’t do it at all. If you have a burning desire to tell a story (compose a song, sculpt, sew, whatever), then that’s what you should be doing. If you think it would be a neat hobby to try in your free time, then great–have some fun while you pursue your real passion. But if you’re meh about what you’re doing (maybe you’re motivated by ‘should’ rather than ‘must’), the results will reflect that. The people who are great at what they do have passion for it. Find your passion and go be great.
If you’d like to read the original article, you can find it here. What do you think? Do you have any tips for how art can improve writing (or vice versa)? Share in the comments.
Don’t forget to get your free copy of my new short story “Blood Magic.” Myth and magic collide in this story about choices, transformation, and retribution. Available here and at most online booksellers.
Aspasía S. Bissas 
There’s something about getting the hands in dirt that relaxes the mind and refreshes the soul. 🙂
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The more a writer learns about other creative pursuits, the more active his or her mind becomes, and that’s good for the writing. Since I started writing more, I’ve discovered that when I read or learn something new, connections between ideas come that I didn’t know were there. Those connections can lead to stories.
Other creative activities such as sewing, painting or sculpting are hands-on activities. Learning about or doing such activities gives the writer experience with touching different objects, learning the subtleties of working with different materials–fabrics, clay, brushes–and the various techniques required. All that richness in learning and experience is bound to enrich writing, in one way or another.
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Everything you said is absolutely true. I’ve also found that creativity begets creativity. Hands-on crafts especially let my writing mind wander and I’ve come up with so many ideas and solved so many blocks by working on something else creative. I believe that’s also why so many writers garden too 🙂
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