Writing is Art, So Be an Artist

Not long ago, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts held a retrospective of Jamie Wyeth's work. I loved it. Wyeth, the youngest, I believe, of the painting Wyeths, is an incredible artist with a mature eye at age 12. We should all be so lucky to have parents that recognize our talent and remove us from the drudgery of school and put us on the path of our desire.

The paintings themselves were not only compelling and visually stunning, but they showed true craftsmanship. The sum total of what it means to be creative, to be an artist.

I wish I could honor my wife as he does his.

This is what we as writers do and we need to see our writing as a canvas. One that isn't ready until we feel satisfied that the reader won't be able to pull their eyes off it. This, I believe, is infinitely more difficult for writing than visual mediums, assuming skill levels are about equal, because we have to interpret the image created by 50,000 words. It doesn't sit on an easel in front of us.

At any rate, below is a video of Wyeth painting Inferno. This was played at the Boston MFA and I loved watching how he created this painting; skillful and with vision.