What You Can Do

Sometimes a visitor to an art museum will for the first time see a work of abstract expressionism, feel puzzled that a painting without any recognizable forms, that is only splashes and drizzles of colors on a canvas, has drawn such admiration, and think, “Well, I could do that.” It’s a perfectly understandable reaction. The painting seems to lack craft, that which the artist must learn to make a vase of flowers actually look like a vase of flowers.

I knew a guy who was an abstract expressionist, and he worked as hard at his painting as my other artist friends who were making pictures with recognizable objects in them. Unfortunately, while I liked him, I had never been a fan of that school of art. The paintings could get my attention, but they never moved me. Still, he worked and worked on his massive canvases, and when I stopped by his studio at the end of the day, he had the familiar spent look of satisfaction every artist of any discipline acquires when things went well.

I was reading a suspense novel for an interview recently. Like virtually every suspense writer I interview, this one was a #1 New York Times Bestseller. It was a skillfully crafted novel, with a grabber opening, and a story propelled as much by economic language as a compelling conflict. Yet there were still moments when I thought he explained something I already knew or let dialogue be a little too on the nose, and I’d find myself thinking, “I could do this.”

And I could, in theory, just as anyone could splash paint on a canvas. I also know for a fact I won’t. To write a book, you have to be a fan of that genre, whether it’s suspense, or fantasy, or self-help. There is something invaluable known by the fan, by the appreciator. You can’t replace it with craft or a desire for more sales. It’s also not learned so much as understood. You’ve always had it, but you just don’t understand what it is you have until you start expressing it. How satisfying it is when you do, when you finally give yourself full access to what you love, and you finish a story and realize, “Yes, I can do this.”

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write With Confidence.
You can find William at: williamkenower.com