The work of art

“Art is anything you can get away with."


Andy Warhol



Where does art come from? Art comes from ideas, emotions and experiences. Is writing art? I believe it is. Writing is also a craft with rules, and a creative process that can't be duplicated from one writer to the next.

One of the interesting aspects of art and writing is that sometimes the work happens when you aren’t focusing on it. Sometimes it happens when we open our minds to the world and other forms of art. When was the last time you visited a museum, went to a concert, or made something with your hands? Someone else’s creative work can help expand your own creativity.

Art isn’t limited to a man-made objects. Nature is art. Lately, I’ve been walking with my husband and dog in a nearby park. I find interesting patterns across the fields where the black stalks of dormant plants rise from the snow. I love the beauty I find in the silent winter.

Take a walk, go for a drive. Spend time with your writing, but don’t forget to spend time with the world. Artists can’t spin ideas into stories without doing the work. But sometimes the work doesn’t look anything like work. Sometimes it looks like walking the dog.

Talk to you soon,

Mary