Ekphrastic Writing and the Art of Inspiration
Megan Eralie-Henriques

In her craft Bible, The Writing Life, Annie Dillard advises writers to “Push it. Examine all things intensely and relentlessly” (78). Developing the skill to look beyond oneself and observe the world surrounding comes with the reward of unlocking inspiration in even the most unexpected places. This act of looking often leads me to ekphrastic writing.  

Recognized as a rhetorical tool, ekphrastic writing is used to describe an existing work of art–a description that is ultimately reflective of the action within the work. The writer, through this reflection, adds to or renews the original meaning of the artwork. For example, a poem written after viewing Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” in which the poet connects the swirling yellows with meaning found from a memory of their youth. At its core, Ekphrasis is an exercise in observation and connection. 

Here’s some annoying advice you’ve probably heard a thousand times: Don’t just tell me what you see. Tell me what you feel. 

You might be thinking “There’s plenty of poems about art–we don’t need more.” Writers, myself included, tend to compete for originality as though it’s a life or death race to live the most unique life possible so that what we write can be interesting. Sometimes we forget that what we have in common with each other is interesting too, and maybe even more important than what separates us. So, tell me what you see in Van Gogh, not what you think other people want you to see. I want to know how your favorite piece of art haunts your dreams. I want you to tell me how you see yourself in the face of Rembrandt’s “Lucreita.” Tell me how the art inspires you.

Ekphrastic writing doesn’t need to be about the writer at all, and frequently is not. A poem can imagine the life of the figures in Edvard Munch’s “Two Women on the Shore.” But remember: just because the text on the page isn’t about you doesn’t mean the writer is not present. Great writing always reveals something about its author. My suggestion to you is that ekphrastic writing can be a tool to help discover or reaffirm one’s identity and values as a writer. What are you drawn to, when you observe other works of art? What emotions or memories does artwork conjure? Surround yourself in art, and inspiration too surrounds you.

Writing Exercise 

Visit an art museum, either local or virtual, and look for a piece of art that speaks to you. First, list what you see. Use bullet points, forget sentence structure. What/who is the subject of the art? What colors are used? Then, write about what you feel. What is the tone? How does this art make you feel? Don’t think too hard here either. Consider this step your research phase, not your drafting phase. 

Put your notes away for a while, long enough that you almost forget you wrote them. Return on a rainy day. Without looking up the art again, write a poem based solely on your notes. Think about the colors, the feelings. What is your subject now? 

Once a draft exists, look back at the original artwork. How has the artwork taken on new meaning?

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