The Art of Expression
How do you express yourself. In word or in picture?
One should never mistake words for actions, they are two different effects. Communication varies from person to person. An image will last longer in a person’s memory banks than a word. In saying that, it becomes balanced when the word speaks out loud. Furthermore, artists study paintings and turn them into transcript, often describing the meaning behind the picture in descriptive lengths from a visual sense. ‘Absinthe’ by Degas would be a perfect example. Discussed and deciphered by generations past, present and future.
In contrast, novels convert smoothly into cinematography with picture images and we read the story visually and of course, in dialogue. When watching a screen, it’s straightforward to grasp that both word and picture morph into one.
The caveman communicated with the picture before sentence. People challenged by autism or dyslexia are more likely to be visual thinkers as are architects, engineers and designers. But the writer or public speaker will tend to discern and express by the language of word in short and long forms. And moreover, a mathematician will extend that by expressing in numbers. When I listen to music I’m more drawn to the lyric whereas others simply dance to the melody. We also use hands to express ourselves, some in sign language and others when combining speech out loud with animated gestures.
We play Scrabble or we play Pictionary to express in different ways.
In written form, the art of penmanship is a lost skill amongst the youth of today. Pen pals or scratches on a postcard, now replaced by text messages. When these words are expressed in shorthand and in slang the meaning can easily misconstrue.
In imagery, we are constantly flashing our mobiles with snapshots. I can honestly say I have never taken a ‘selfie,’ but a picture is worth a thousand words to millenials. And YouTube has become a constant and successful tool for visual information.
However, when I close my eyes at night, I narrate my life in words rather than an image. I don’t think one defines better than the other. Either way, an expression is the truest form of individualism and should articulate and never silenced.
Which one do you prefer?
Gazza
