The Art of Writing

Words. 

Spoken or written, they surround our lives. We see them on billboards and hear them on the radio. Scratched onto the concrete as mementos of new cement, or spray painted on freeway overpasses to declare political views. We use them to keep track of what we need to pick up at the store and explain to our boss why the presentation won’t be ready by the original deadline.

While they serve mundane purposes, they can also elevate our understanding. They can transport us to far away worlds or allow us to empathize with people across the globe, or even across the street. Strung together rhythmically and set to music, they can bring us to tears or to our feet.

So why is writing not considered by many to be an art?

Merriam Webster defines art as “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” In the definition alone, so many words that have multiple meanings: conscious, use, imagination. And don’t get me started on production, aesthetic and object. But when the subject of art is discussed, most people automatically jump to visual art. Paintings and sketches, sculpture and photography. We accept these objects as “art.” Another possible definition of art includes “skill acquired by experience, study, or observation.” Now, with this additional information, we included theatrical productions, music and dance to the list of artistic endeavors. We know actors, dancers, singers and musicians spend long and arduous hours learning, practicing and perfecting their chosen passions.

Yet, for reasons unknown, writers seem to fall into a shadowy nowhere land. Seen through the lens of academia, writers rarely receive public artistic recognition. Poets become songwriters, but the singers receive the accolades. Novelists earn Pulitzers hidden from the televised glitz and glamor. Screenwriters pen the stories that win Oscars and Tonys in quiet and reserved ceremonies, while directors, actors and even costume designers take home the coveted trophies in front of raucous, live audiences. 

I have taught for the whole of my teaching career in the San Diego Unified School District (
SDUSD). In particular, I have been blessed to be a staff member at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (SDSCPA) since the late 20th century. Our school lives and breathes the arts. Overseeing our school at the district level is the Visual and Performing Arts Department (VAPA). At first blush, their vision statement sounds so inclusive: “Transforming lives through the arts.”

Love it. It’s clear, concise and welcoming.

Or is it?

Delve a little deeper into the mission statement and you find that even as VAPA “...will promote artistic literacy, innovation, creativity, and excellence in the arts,” they are rather specific about what is considered an art. According to the SDUSD website, VAPA “...support(s) the highest quality arts education in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.”

So where is writing? 

Artistic literacy is expressly called out as a key cornerstone on the pathway to excellence, yet the actual act of putting pen to paper is not determined to be artistic enough to make the list. 

Color me curious. 

Why is creative writing excluded from the party? 

Now, to be completely fair, as I said earlier, I am truly blessed to be at SDSCPA. Thanks to the legwork from a former teacher-turned-site principal and another wonderful like-minded English teacher, they created our Creative Writing Major program. As students in the Creative Writing program, they learn about fiction, nonfiction, poetry, scriptwriting, and journalism. They enter local and national writing contests, receive feedback from a variety of industry professionals, and have numerous publication opportunities. They are approached by college recruiters from the likes of such prestigious programs as Kelly Writers House at Penn University, Savannah College of Art & Design, and this past year, students were introduced to the Manchester Metropolitan University.

But my school is an anomaly, a single rose surrounded by dandelions. And it makes me wonder how many creative writers are hiding in various English classes around the district, blossoming in disguise. Students told by their teachers they are “good writers” but are never acknowledged as artists. Voices praised for making writing “look easy” yet not viewed through the lens of a dedicated storyteller.

Writers consciously use skill and creative imagination. Writing is an act of sheer will, pulling abstract words from the ether and combining them to form a concrete and visual structure. Be it a sentence, a poem, an essay, a memoir or a short story, the writer had to choose which word would sit in what place along the page.

Writers produce aesthetic objects. Books that entertain all ages and educate for all reasons, scripts that become films and stage productions, and poems that fill the world with song.

Writers draw on their own experiences, study the human condition, and observe the world through the lens of what is and what could be. Through their skillful wordsmithing, they bring every corner of the known and unknown into the forefront of an audience’s mind and heart.

That tackles the dictionary definition. Now onto the VAPA verbiage.

Artistic literacy? Check.

Innovation? Got it.

Creativity? Yup, it’s there.

Excellence in the arts? Total no brainer. 

I’ll even go one better for you, SDUSD. VAPA can now be called CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts), which will now “...support the highest quality arts education in creative writing, dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.” 

You’re welcome.