I’ve often said that academia threatened to beat the creativity out of me with their ‘rules’ for writing-
so many of which don’t make for good storytelling or even a compelling essay.
I mastered expectations for papers & such, but felt called to do writing that was wholly different. FF to present day in my 5th decade of life and I’m finally just these last 5 or so years-finally pursuing writing as a passion; reveling in the art making and learning ‘craft’ from a teacher/writer/artist who views writing as a way of living; who values ‘play’ & messy as a portal to the profound.
Wow - thanks so much for your insightful comment. Honestly, it's so freeing to see writing as an art form! You can do whatever you want and no one can tell you "no" anymore. It's the best! I'm glad you've found your way to the creative beauty of writing as an art.
And unrelated to my post, I'd like to point out that you do NOT look like you're in your 5th decade! What a beautiful person you are (clearly inside AND out 😊). Also, my best friend from college is studying to be a trauma therapist, so it's really neat to meet someone else who shares that passion! Anddd finally... You are my 175th subscriber! Thank you!!!
Awe!!!! 🥰♥️🤗 This is Alll So Magical to read!! You are too kind! And how serendipitous about your friend! The field needs every passionate, empathetic person wishing to dedicate themselves.
Grateful to have stumbled upon you ✨ & be your 175th subscriber!!
The question of natural talent vs. effort and practice rages on, and all too often people rush to dig their heels in on one side of the debate or the other. The boring (and often frustrating) answer is that it's both.
The good news is, regardless of how nature vs. nurture determines your ability, one side of that equation is settled, so the answer is the same regardless of where you're starting from: practice.
And to your point, recognizing the art in your craft can only help you to improve. The techniques and tools are valuable insofar as they serve the art.
Thank you for reading my post! Although it’s true, I hadn’t thought about that before: “one side of that equation is settled.” We have one thing we can change, so that’s where to start! And yes, I think we forget the answer that “it’s both,” but, as with many things in life, it is. 😊
Although writing formulas aren't always best for "writing in the wild," they get taught in school for multiple reasons:
1. Writing formulas are training wheels. They teach beginning writers the types of things to do. For example, make a claim; provide a piece of evidence to support that claim; interpret that evidence for readers so they can see how/why the evidence supports the claim. Besides, "you have to know the rules to break the rules" effectively.
2. Writing formulas remove a lot of the subjectivity from grading writing. If no formula is required... what is the grade based on? "Did I like it" is not sufficient. Even "did I understand it" is risky, when teachers have been grading 100 papers on four hours of sleep.
But "did the student do the things required" and "is the thesis clearly stated upfront" are more easily answered. And if the answers are "yes," then the student is probably well on the way to a good grade - and an effectively written essay.
No, writing formulas are not ideal... but they have their purposes in educational settings. And the true wordsmiths will later figure out how to break the rules to great effect!
Thanks for your thoughts, and for sharing my post! ☺️ Yes, I think the formulas are very important for the reasons you mentioned… I think there needs to be more opportunity in school to flex the creative muscle as well. It’s okay to grade and learn based on those formulas; but we also need ways to grade and learn creativity. We’ve figured out how to do it in art class. Let’s figure out how to do it in writing, too!
I went through a somewhat different school experience. I knew that anyone could write, just as anyone can draw. But although I got quite skilled at drawing, I would never find my artistic calling that way. Writing was in me since childhood. So I loved writing all through school and took on any new assignment as a fun way to show off, play with the form, draw outside the lines (as it were).
Art folks — well, those were those right-brained folks, but I was left-brain all the way. That idea has now fallen out of fashion, but it was a key formation of my young identification. I just thought differently than those drawing types.
And when I saw anyone can write or draw, I mean it precisely in the sense that anyone can play the piano. Sure, but to be skilled you have to practice a lot unless you are Mozart (who still practiced a lot).
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You hit the nail on the head - there’s certainly natural talent involved in writing as in art, but hard work really does matter. Dedication really does make you better. ☺️
Love this perspective and wholeheartedly agree!!!
I’ve often said that academia threatened to beat the creativity out of me with their ‘rules’ for writing-
so many of which don’t make for good storytelling or even a compelling essay.
I mastered expectations for papers & such, but felt called to do writing that was wholly different. FF to present day in my 5th decade of life and I’m finally just these last 5 or so years-finally pursuing writing as a passion; reveling in the art making and learning ‘craft’ from a teacher/writer/artist who views writing as a way of living; who values ‘play’ & messy as a portal to the profound.
Wow - thanks so much for your insightful comment. Honestly, it's so freeing to see writing as an art form! You can do whatever you want and no one can tell you "no" anymore. It's the best! I'm glad you've found your way to the creative beauty of writing as an art.
And unrelated to my post, I'd like to point out that you do NOT look like you're in your 5th decade! What a beautiful person you are (clearly inside AND out 😊). Also, my best friend from college is studying to be a trauma therapist, so it's really neat to meet someone else who shares that passion! Anddd finally... You are my 175th subscriber! Thank you!!!
Awe!!!! 🥰♥️🤗 This is Alll So Magical to read!! You are too kind! And how serendipitous about your friend! The field needs every passionate, empathetic person wishing to dedicate themselves.
Grateful to have stumbled upon you ✨ & be your 175th subscriber!!
💖💖💖 So glad to have you here!!
The question of natural talent vs. effort and practice rages on, and all too often people rush to dig their heels in on one side of the debate or the other. The boring (and often frustrating) answer is that it's both.
The good news is, regardless of how nature vs. nurture determines your ability, one side of that equation is settled, so the answer is the same regardless of where you're starting from: practice.
And to your point, recognizing the art in your craft can only help you to improve. The techniques and tools are valuable insofar as they serve the art.
Great read.
Thank you for reading my post! Although it’s true, I hadn’t thought about that before: “one side of that equation is settled.” We have one thing we can change, so that’s where to start! And yes, I think we forget the answer that “it’s both,” but, as with many things in life, it is. 😊
Although writing formulas aren't always best for "writing in the wild," they get taught in school for multiple reasons:
1. Writing formulas are training wheels. They teach beginning writers the types of things to do. For example, make a claim; provide a piece of evidence to support that claim; interpret that evidence for readers so they can see how/why the evidence supports the claim. Besides, "you have to know the rules to break the rules" effectively.
2. Writing formulas remove a lot of the subjectivity from grading writing. If no formula is required... what is the grade based on? "Did I like it" is not sufficient. Even "did I understand it" is risky, when teachers have been grading 100 papers on four hours of sleep.
But "did the student do the things required" and "is the thesis clearly stated upfront" are more easily answered. And if the answers are "yes," then the student is probably well on the way to a good grade - and an effectively written essay.
No, writing formulas are not ideal... but they have their purposes in educational settings. And the true wordsmiths will later figure out how to break the rules to great effect!
Thanks for your thoughts, and for sharing my post! ☺️ Yes, I think the formulas are very important for the reasons you mentioned… I think there needs to be more opportunity in school to flex the creative muscle as well. It’s okay to grade and learn based on those formulas; but we also need ways to grade and learn creativity. We’ve figured out how to do it in art class. Let’s figure out how to do it in writing, too!
This is great.
I went through a somewhat different school experience. I knew that anyone could write, just as anyone can draw. But although I got quite skilled at drawing, I would never find my artistic calling that way. Writing was in me since childhood. So I loved writing all through school and took on any new assignment as a fun way to show off, play with the form, draw outside the lines (as it were).
Art folks — well, those were those right-brained folks, but I was left-brain all the way. That idea has now fallen out of fashion, but it was a key formation of my young identification. I just thought differently than those drawing types.
And when I saw anyone can write or draw, I mean it precisely in the sense that anyone can play the piano. Sure, but to be skilled you have to practice a lot unless you are Mozart (who still practiced a lot).
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You hit the nail on the head - there’s certainly natural talent involved in writing as in art, but hard work really does matter. Dedication really does make you better. ☺️