Fluid, elegant, even beautiful: Academic writing as an artistic skill

What elevates a piece of writing from being merely adequate into something fluid and elegant, even beautiful? Something which both the writer and reader could take delight in?

For students, there is often a disconnection between the enthusiasm they may hold for their chosen subject, and their perception of academic writing as a tedious chore: a restrictive and uninspiring act performed under duress. This disconnection is frequently apparent in my own art-and-design-based context (whereby students would far rather be engaging in their studio practice), but is likely to be an issue within other disciplines as well.

My question is: what if this perception could be altered? What if academic writing could be seen as an exhilarating and joyous creative act: an essential part of one’s artistic self-expression, rather than something to be endured through gritted teeth? In this session, I discuss how principles from art and design can be applied to an EAP tutor’s writing ‘toolkit’. This will include the following:

• Aspects of visual analysis (e.g. unity, balance, contrast, rhythm, harmony).

• Untrammelled creative freedom versus deliberate restraint.

• The “shape” of an essay. What visual metaphors might be relevant? Is there an ideal one-size-fits-all pattern? Should the shape always be regular, or can it be uneven/wobbly? And where does a cocktail glass come in to all of this?

• How do artists guide their audience in various ways, and how can a writer do likewise? Where do the similarities and differences lie? Is “oneself” an audience?

• Using these ideas in the EAP classroom or as self-study material.

Finally: although this approach was devised with art/design students in mind, it could also be used with students from other subject areas. Indeed, its transdisciplinary nature may offer a fresh and intriguing new perspective to all: that every essay-writer is, potentially, a unique artist.