Writing as art means being aware that writing is more than a process for self discovery or communication. It means recognizing that writing is also an aesthetic process. We can literally make art in writing or we can use the tools of art making to enhance any kind of writing we do. Elements of art arise when we make aesthetic use of words, images, stories and voice in our writing. We write because we desire to create--beautiful expression, artful communication, literary objects. Beauty is an inherent, if not an obvious part, of all effective writing. Access to aesthetic tools allows us to create beauty or deepen our writing whenever we want to. Writing as art also means exploring how the artistic processes used in other arts (such as the visual and performing arts) can benefit and enhance our writing.

Writing as art gives us the chance to

• Augment our writing. It allows us to deepen it through the use of aesthetic tools or enhance it with artistic processes.
• Develop personally. For example, it allows us to uncover, explore and work with our images, experiences and voices. This allows us to use writing as art as a process of restoration and repair.
• Construct writing/art objects. For me, writing as art is a way to join text and image through drawing or by constructing objects in mixed media. Writing as art can take many forms--postcards, drawings, greeting cards, handmade or illustrated books, puzzles or boxes.

Continue...