“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe,” said Gustave Flaubert, the celebrated French novelist. I couldn’t agree more. But it is not just serendipity that makes it a fascinating journey. And it is not just a way of capturing a combination of the tangible and intangible that makes writing an art form. There’s more to it than that.

Let’s take a closer look at what the ‘more’ is and how it makes writing a form of art.

WHAT WE MEAN BY ART AND BY WRITING

Let’s be clear about the terms first. By art, I don’t mean just a product of human endeavor that has an emotional power or aesthetic value. It goes beyond that. It must be about conveying an important idea, a statement of sorts, that improves human life in unconventional and creative ways that are not obvious or easy to capture.

For the purposes of this article, by writing, I mean its creative form. Writing often takes place in the combined realms of reality and illusion. In the hands of a good author, it becomes a tool that serves as a conduit of our intellectual, imaginative, and transformative power. It is a kind of power that transforms, improves, and rewards.

BREAKING BARRIERS

A good piece of writing stimulates thinking. A good writer is not someone with the right answers. That is the realm of politicians and religious leaders. Rather, a good writer is someone with the right questions. That means you often have to go against the grain to explore uncharted territory.

You become like a tourist blazing a trail and scouring off-the-beaten tracks to make discoveries and get a glimpse of the invisible. Creative writing prompts people to think outside the box. It pushes them out of their comfort zones. It challenges, vexes, and unsettles to achieve the unachievable.

MAKING PEOPLE AND THINGS BETTER

Given the above purpose of writing, it cannot be reduced to any kind of a self-gratifying activity. Don’t get me wrong, creative writing must be as inspiring as it should be beautiful. I don’t mean to discount the value of ingenious word combinations, puns, tropes, or understatements. These are all powerful tools in the arsenal of great writers.

But unless writing takes the reader a step farther on their path of continuous improvement, it might be missing the mark. My literature professor and an avid follower of the best botanic art school in the United States used to ask himself the questions that I often ask myself every time I turn to my next reading. Has this book made me any better than I had been before I read it? Has it made me think or do something differently? Has it led me to make my personal discoveries, however small? If you keep answering no to these questions, you must have misunderstood the book, or you must have picked the wrong one.

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

‘Writing is nothing more than a guided dream,’ said Jorge Luis Borges, the celebrated Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet, and translator. Writing helps you become a guide who can not only drive dreams but also make them come true.

Our life is a never-ending struggle to delineate demarcation lines between illusion and reality. What seems true one day may turn out to be ephemeral or short-lived the other day. It is neither easy nor simple to navigate these realms with all sorts of uncertainties and unknowns that go with them. Powerful and creative writers help readers find their way through these intellectual and moral labyrinths.

It is a challenging and multifaceted task to tackle, with lots of “whats” and “whys.” Those who make headway are up for an incredible and rewarding journey that is worth every second spent and every inch covered.

PUTTING PEN TO PAPER

Writing can be a source of endless inspiration, enlightenment, and serendipity. Creative writing is definitely a form of art or, to be more precise, the kind of art that empowers, nurtures, and transforms. At the end of the day, it all boils down to the difference it makes. The difference in one’s personal pursuits and efforts, as well as in terms of improved social interactions.

When writing is a completely egocentric process (which it has every right to be), it cannot go beyond a purely aesthetic or self-gratifying purpose. When it serves a larger goal of broadening one’s worldview, unpicking the invisible, and asking the right questions, it lays down the marker for others to follow.

Author Bio: Barbara Fielder is an acclaimed professional writer. She has served as an evaluator on multiple writing contest panels, and she knows a thing or two about best practices in creative writing. Barbara also enjoyed writing academic assignments in time she worked in Best Essay, as well as helping others find their unique writing style. She has authored her works on a broad range of academic and non-academic subjects.

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What is creative writing?

Before exploring the peculiarities of inspiring thoughtful creative writing through art, let’s take a closer look at the term creative writing. Here are some vital elements that define creative writing:

• Character:

This element can be considered fuel for an entire plot. Usually, readers choose a character to sympathize with or anticipate him or her. And, generally, readers also identify themselves with a particular character subconsciously.

• Scene and surroundings:

When you tell a particular story or describe something with creative writing, it requires specific settings and surroundings. Depending on the plot, there may be only one scene or several of them. It is always necessary to present to the reader at least one scene that is described very well so the reader can imagine it easily.

• Plot:

This is a core element of any creative writing, be it a novel, a play, a poem, or a book. The plot usually has an ark that sets the whole story from introduction to end. Plots are something you cannot ignore; without them, the entire story is not possible.

• Conflict:

Readers must spectate something that is going on between several characters personally or between one character and circumstances. The conflict sharpens everything and makes the plot catching.

• Shape:

This element can be considered fuel for an entire plot. Usually, readers choose a character to sympathize with or anticipate him or her. And, generally, readers also identify themselves with a particular character subconsciously.

• Scene and surroundings:

When you tell a particular story or describe something with creative writing, it requires specific settings and surroundings. Depending on the plot, there may be only one scene or several of them. It is always necessary to present to the reader at least one scene that is described very well so the reader can imagine it easily.

• Plot:

This is a core element of any creative writing, be it a novel, a play, a poem, or a book. The plot usually has an ark that sets the whole story from introduction to end. Plots are something you cannot ignore; without them, the entire story is not possible.

• Conflict:

Readers must spectate something that is going on between several characters personally or between one character and circumstances. The conflict sharpens everything and makes the plot catching.

• Style:

Everywhere you go, it’s all about style — and writing is no exception. It is ephemeral but an essential element of creative writing. For famous world-renown authors, their style is the same as their unique fingerprint or signature they leave on their books for fans. You cannot underestimate the meaning of style. For published authors, their style is a reason why people buy the books they create. Compare the writings of Stephen King and Ernest Hemingway, and see the style of creative writing of both those fantastic personalities. The styles are completely different, but you can read their style in each paragraph.  

• Point-of-view:

In simple words, they, you, or I can tell a story. In other words, in the first, second, or third person. This can be a vital element for some creative writing pieces, and for others, it is not. However, in my opinion, the easiest way is to narrate from the first person, as the personal opinion of the author.

Core elements of creative writing

Assuming the list above, you need to be very open-minded in practicing thoughtful creative writing. It may be challenging at first, but as you progress, you will learn there are stages to creating a well-written piece. Any art masterpiece can be taken as a source of inspiration to activate your creativeness. There are four core elements, combine them and you will be able to achieve thoughtful, creative writing through art:

1. Observation

Art teaches people to observe patiently by slowing down their daily routine to find more profound meaning. Train yourself to compile your creative writing goals with the process of observation. Try to stop and think out-of-the-box when observing a particular piece of art. For example, if it is a painting, try to explore more of the details (if we are talking about paintings). Does the image contain people or mysterious characters, mythology elements, etc.? Depending on what kind of creative writing you are working on, choose pieces that create a particular mood. 

When observing a painting, you need to ask yourself various questions that will stimulate your writing afterward. For example, what are the first five words coming to your mind when you see this painting? How do the color combinations make you feel? How did the artist use a focal point of the painting to draw your attention? If there are some unusual elements, then what do they symbolize? Imagine yourself getting inside the painting, which you are observing. What do you feel about being there? Can you imagine yourself staying here forever? If there would be sounds or smells inside the world you see in the picture, how could you describe them? Write down all your assumptions and thoughts. Be as much open-minded as possible. Do not try to analyze your thoughts and feelings at this stage.

2. Interpreting

Thoughtful, creative writing through art will be impossible without interpreting your thoughts after your art exploration. A good question to ask yourself is “What is going on because of things I  observed?” and “Why do I feel the way I feel?” These two questions lie at the core of the creative writing process, and after you answer them, they will lead you to new plateaus in your creativity. Give yourself time to understand and interpret everything related to the artwork, don’t rush yourself, and be patient with your thoughts and feelings. Think over the reasons and variants of everything you understand as part of your creative writing process.

3. Communicating

Now you are ready to communicate your thoughts to others. It would help if you had a community of like-minded people who are willing to develop thoughtful, creative writing through art the same way that you are. Explain your ideas after completing the stages of observing and interpreting, be open, and share everything you want. Remember that the core of creativeness lies in an open mind and critical thinking. After the previous two stages, people are usually full of various thoughts and ideas, and you’ll likely feel the explosion of more ideas after sharing them. Communication is a key to success when it comes to creativeness. Trying to verbalize what you have achieved after diving into a particular piece of art in conversation can lift your interpretation to the next level.

4. Creating

Now it is time to dedicate time to thoughtful, creative writing itself. Here are some practical  exercises that may be useful:

• Explain characters from the perspective of the protagonist and antagonist’s ideas; define essential values of their personalities and behavior.

• Pretend you are not a human, but a tree, a pattern, a piece of art, and describe your thoughts and feelings while playing this unexpected role.

• Imagine telling the story by another person, not you; how will the narrative change in such a situation?

• Create unexpected dialogues that could change the whole plot by making an unexpected twist.

• Describe the behavior of characters through their motives and the prerequisites defined by their previous life experience.

• Imagine that you have to persuade another person that your beliefs and thoughts are correct.

Conclusion

Using art to inspire thoughtful creative writing is an effective way to lift your writing performance to the next level. Before you start practicing creative writing, you need to understand what creative writing is and which core elements it contains. Among those elements are style, plot, character, scenery, conflict, and other vital parts that define this vast term. 

It can be very rewarding to widen your vision and influence the outcome of your creative writing by using art as inspiration. It is easy to start by simply observing a piece of art, for example, a painting. Recall all the feelings arising in your soul and remember them. Do not analyze anything at this stage. Allow the following stage for interpreting and understanding your feelings and thoughts on the art. Then try discussing and interacting with other people to refine your idea further. The final stage will be you putting it into practice in your creative writing.

About the author:

John McGill is a professional author of a lead paper writing service essayshark.com and creative writing tutor. My hobby is Antic philosophy and a favorite modern author is Stephen King.

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