Writing Vs. Visual Arts

I don't like art. Sure, there is the brief joyous moment that you experience when you finish a painting that is particularly grand. But it doesn't last. Not really. Well, not in my opinion.

“Why then,” people ask me (when I complain about it), “do you draw and paint and create these things?” This statement is usually accompanied by a deadpan glare from me and a wild hand gesture towards whatever I had recently created from the speaker. I shrug. It is a subject I really don't care much for and a topic that is dull to discuss.

But, for those who (for reasons beyond me) are truly curious, here is my answer.

I am a writer. I love the English language. I love that you can take a word that means something, surround it with others and give it a completely different definition. I cherish that small rush you get when you know you've written something particularly amazing but then leave it, reading it again months later while trying not to bask in your own genius. I take note of sentences or brilliant similes in novels and poems that I read, sometimes rereading them three times before moving on. Sure, winning long jump or getting the high score on COD or whatever it is, is something to be proud of. But, leaning back in your seat knowing that you've just created something that no one else could have without your mindset, it feels remarkable.

However, how many people in today's world will sit down and enjoy reading a text? Who goes out and buys a book of poetry for the hell of it?

Exactly.

Art is a quick way to tell a story, to make a point, to share an idea. And it is a universal language. Anyone can look at a picture of an orange and know it's an orange, and you don't need to be literate to understand art. The only barrier is the person's mind. And really if you consider it, that is a common road block in many other aspects of life as well, so no big loss there.

I'll draw a picture, or paint, or CG not because I enjoy the process of it, or because I want to keep that particular visual forever. I create because I am a fan of self-expression. Writing and visual arts are not bound by creative laws and I can do whatever I want with either.

So, I guess I do like art. I enjoy looking at other people's creations, decoding their meaning and appreciating the work and thought put into them, I like the free expression, and how you can surround one colour by a multitude of other’s to portray a specific message. I guess, if you think about it, art is a form of writing, and writing is an art.

-MegaTron Out.