Treat Your Writing Like a Painting
A single paint stroke couldn’t stand alone, and neither can a single word
The process of writing is a delicate one that needs to be treated with care, patience, and creativity, just like the art of painting. A painter may spend hours carefully mixing certain paint hues together to create the perfect color. A writer is no different with their sentences. Painters and writers are one and the same, really. A painter may spend hours staring at a blank canvas, waiting for inspiration to strike. The same way a writer stares at a blank sheet of paper, waiting for a fabulous plot to pop right into their head. Just like how painters vary in their techniques, the same applies to writers. One writer may be able to write multiple pieces in one day, whereas another writer may only be able to get done a draft a day. If any aspect of your writing is similar to a painting, it should be the color. Your writing should paint vivid descriptions and evoke powerful emotion that feels real to the reader. Write your words the way Vincent Van Gogh would paint his canvas: uniquely and vibrant.
Overall theme
Let’s start with a classic: “Starry Night.” Most people, art lovers or not, are familiar with this painting of Van Gogh’s. I’m not an art connoisseur myself, but even I cannot deny that this is a beautiful piece of work. But what makes it so special and timeless? Well, one thing is clear: Van Gogh stuck with a theme. One prevalent theme in this painting is blue, clearly used to represent the sky. But Van Gogh balances lighter shades of blue with darker ones, as well as adding in some bright yellow and white to contrast with the darker hues. Your writing should do the same. Your writing should have a consistent theme. Look at any good writer’s work. James Baldwin had honesty, Oscar Wilde had romanticization and Kurt Vonnegut had bluntness. Whatever it is you’re writing about, there should be a concise theme that pulls your piece together. Maybe your piece revolves around humor, adolescence, friendship, or love. Whatever your theme may be, ensure you balance it out with other elements. If you’re writing a serious piece, don’t be afraid to add in some light-hearted moments to further emphasize the grave tone you’re hoping to provide. Or if you’re writing an optimistic piece, don’t be afraid to include moments of doubt or uncertainty. These secondary elements further highlight the main theme of your piece. Whatever your theme may be, make it as vivid and unmistakable as the blue in Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” painting. When your reader finishes with your piece, they should know exactly what lessons, advice, or feelings you wanted them to take away.
Let your reader use their imagination
With this next one, I’m taking inspiration from “Cafe Terrace at Night.” This painting is more of a simple one, but still moving to the viewer. I enjoy this painting because there’s not too much going on. The viewer has to guess a little bit about what they think is happening or what they feel Van Gogh’s goal was with this piece. When I look at this painting, it’s rather a bit of a mystery to me. I’m not quite sure exactly what I’m supposed to think or feel when looking at it. Should I pay attention to the bright yellow colors jumping out or should I pay attention to the people walking in the background? I’m not sure what this piece represents, but at least it gets my mind wandering. And your writing should do the same. When you write, allow your reader to think for themselves. Make a statement that makes them question their morals, but don’t reassure them afterward. Let them be unsure of what your message is. When writing a romantic scene between two love interests, don’t include every single detail. Sometimes less is more. More things can be said in what words aren’t spoken between two people. However, be careful with this one. Sometimes one fails to provide enough detail or context and the reader just ends up being confused. Trust me, I’ve made this mistake myself. But with the perfect balance, you can effectively write a piece that conveys your goal while simultaneously getting the reader to use their head a little bit.
Let the beautiful rot for a little while
The last painting I’m going to mention is called “Two Cut Sunflowers.” I enjoy this painting because I’ve never really seen anything like it, and I truly admire the concept it provides. Sunflowers are viewed as being such a beautiful flower, often associated with happiness and summer. But in this painting, the sunflowers are clearly depicted as rotting and shriveling up. I think it’s crazy to take something so beautiful and depict it in such a bad light, which is why I love it. When writing, you should not be afraid to let bad things happen to your favorite characters, or even the ones considered the protagonist. Letting something less than stellar happen to them won’t take away their goodness; if anything, it further emphasizes their beauty. Write in a piece of dialogue where one of your main characters says something incredibly rude to their best friend. Write a scene where a beloved character does something that might make the reader hate them for a little bit. Even consider humanizing one of your antagonists, for a change. Through your writing, attempt to defy society’s standards of beauty, just like Van Gogh does in this lovely painting. People enjoy reading because they can relate to it, but also it’s an escape from reality that entertains them for a little while. Don’t be afraid to go outside of the box or out of your comfort zone. Any good writer knows that experimentation is key to any good writing.
Writing is a lot like painting, and many art forms, to be frank. The next time you see a painting you admire, or a film you enjoy or listen to a song that makes your day, think about how you could apply it to your writing. Inspiration is everywhere.
