Art and writing

I love to write and I love to see art. I wondered if it was an inspired, or wacky idea to put them together in a Short Takes article.

I scribbled notes during a talk by Gloucester painter Jeff Weaver, who captures, magnificently, the city’s working waterfront and architectural diversity. Jeff said “Art helps you see things in a different way.” I pondered the relevance of this to our writing.

I talked to Elynn Kröger, whose glorious colors form abstract landscapes that, she suggests, invite us to blend what we see with our imagination. Perhaps art can spark new ways to describe our vision for a better world.

In the Edward Hopper exhibition currently at the Cape Ann Museum, I learned that Hopper spoke of “beauty in commonplaceness”. I believe that imaginative language like this can encourage closer reading by donors.

Here’s what I’ve been thinking.

• Be creative. Artists are inventive. Thinking outside the box can evoke clever answers to tricky funder questions that foster donor interest.
• Get attention. Like the artist whose tiny dab of color adds wonder to an entire painting, an unexpected phrase may entice the funder to take a second look.
• Start messy. A painting, a sculpture, or a concert may require extended periods of focus. Hours of writing and re-writing may be needed to produce a polished proposal that truly engages the reader. Go with it.
• Start over. Early versions of a work of art may be entirely recreated before the artist is satisfied with the result. Editing is fundamental to a strong proposal, but sometimes starting over is best.

Why does it matter?

Consider how what you see or hear informs your writing. You may find charm in children’s art, energy in graffiti, a new perspective in photography, or excitement in Cuban music. Such experiences can prompt intriguing twists in our writing.

I believe that lessons from the arts can elevate writing from ho-hum to eye-catching, and promote careful funder review of your document from start to finish.

Thank you

To Elynn Kröger and Jeff Weaver for their ideas and talent that helped inspire this article. And to Stephanie Warburg, artist, founder and president of MAXCourge, and faithful reader of Short Takes, for her review of the draft.