Dictionary.com defines craft as: Skill in doing or making something, as in the arts; proficiency. The site's definition of art is less satisfactory: The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty... 

The craft of writing can be studied, practiced and constantly improved in a wide variety of ways. 

The art of writing, on the other hand is something else. It requires inspiration, which, when we're lucky may come in a sudden flash. Inspiration sometimes comes bit-by-bit, perhaps over a long period of time.

The craft of writing can be approached in a logical, liner fashion. We can take a class; we can read about how to write; we can work with a coach or editor. We can develop a plan or work out a series of steps to learn and improve our craft.

The art of writing is far from logical and rarely linear. I've had the inspiration for the solid organization of a software manual appear to me in the shower; I've also spend hours pacing, reading, and pacing some more as I tried to access my deepest self so I could tell my truth in an understandable way.

As freelance writers we, of course, need both the craft and the art. My own experience indicates that they each feed on the other; the more I learn about writing the more likely I am to find the art within myself... which provides a major clue the differences.

The art, the inspiration always comes from within me. It may happen because of something you said, or something I read or saw, but the inspiration itself happens inside of me. Which means I have to stay open to the seemingly random thoughts and ideas that pulse through my brain.

Here's a concrete example: Right now my day job consists of calling real estate agents and offering them websites. I've been doing that some six months now, sometimes making 180 calls in in a single day. Can you imagine how many times I've been put on hold? Or the number of poor advertisements, lousy music, or banal announcements I've heard? For months I've been grousing and muttering and wondering why any potential client would put up with such nonsense. 

Yesterday, the creative penny dropped and an article title arrived: Put Yourself On Hold! It's a great idea, and it's marketable to a wide variety of places. Art has stuck! Now all I have to do is put my craft to work, staying open as I do to more inspiration as I draft, edit and market.

Write well, and often!

~ Anne Wayman

 

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