Liminal Wordsmith

When Geoffrey Sirc talks about writing as a kind of visual art in English Composition as a Happening, I have to say I definitely get what he means. He’s basically saying that writing shouldn’t feel so stiff or mechanical. It can be more like painting or creating something you can feel and see, not just something you follow a formula for.

I think that’s a helpful comparison. When I picture writing like visual art, it makes me think about space, color, and movement, in the same way music can be thought of like visual art. A painter layers colors until something new appears, a musician layers sounds and beats, and writers can work the same way. You can layer thoughts, moods, and words until something surprising shows up.

What I like most about this idea is that it takes the pressure off being “perfect.” Artists make a mess before their piece starts to come together, and I think writers should do the same. Most of us probably already do. If you treat your writing like an experiment or a creative event, you’re more open to taking risks and finding your own voice instead of just checking boxes.

So, by comparing writing to visual art, Sirc reminds me that writing doesn’t have to look one specific way. It can be messy, emotional, and alive, just like any good painting.