Certainly, writing is an inspired process, driven by passion and made possible by discipline. Like anything else, it is a practice. We become better by investing the time and honing our skill. But are we only to be considered writers once the Nobel prize has come in? Do we cease to be writers the moment our pen rests?
Sometimes, I feel conflicted. Why am I so drawn to the arts? Why did I choose to study communication disorders? Where’s the connection? I sometimes forget the connection is the human element of expression. As humans we seem to be motivated to express ourselves. This need is also reinforced when our needs are met through communication. Our mere survival depends on it. My time with you now will explore the connection between visual art and written language as evidenced by a total of four works.
As writers, we bring our own set of experiences and perspectives to whatever we write. That’s part of what makes writing compelling. But with collaborative writing, you bring in the experiences and perspectives of several other writers as well as your own. By including more writers in the process for a single written piece, you enrich the word choice, syntax and thematic elements dramatically. Sometimes the product gets muddled with competing ideas and approaches. But more often than not, particularly if there is no ego or agenda brought to the table, the product of collaborative writing is something that astonishes the participants.