Every now and then, an image catches my eye and locks itself in my memory, refusing to let go. The organs in my chest seem to twist and turn, and something about it makes me hold my breath as I take it in. It stays with me, even haunts me. This is what happened when I saw an unusual missing child ad more than a decade ago. The boy on the left was 10 years old; the man on the right was 48. It was the same person, the child and his computer-progressed grown-up self. Both pairs of eyes seemed to bore into mine. I thought about the family who’d been looking for this boy for more than thirty years, never giving up. I tore the ad from the paper, carried it around in my bag for a while, and eventually sat down to write the story that became my award-winning novel Have You Seen Him.

Writing with images opens me up creatively. A powerful visual activates both my brain and my body, by way of the senses. It’s actually quite similar to people-watching, then developing a backstory about someone intriguing who happens to cross our path. We get a passing glimpse of them and proceed to create an entire story in our minds, just from that brief encounter. I recently learned about Stendahl Syndrome, a psychosomatic phenomenon. It’s been documented that for some, looking at artwork and experiencing a deep connection to it brings on a rapid heartbeat, dizziness, sweating, and even fainting. Art can cause deeply visceral responses. Writing with images is a way to capture some aspect of that, using the power of the visual to take our imagination to new depths.

The formal name for this literary technique is “ekphrastic writing.” Originating from the Greek “ekphrasis,” which means to describe, point out, or explain, it’s a way to transform the visual to the verbal. One of the earliest examples is The Iliad, Homer’s story about scenes depicted on Achilles’ shield. But now the practice has evolved to include any response to a work of art. There are unlimited ways to engage with images—by writing directly to the figure in the piece, imagining its backstory, or exploring the symbolism it contains, to name a few. However we choose to engage with an image, the goal is to step into the imaginal realm of the artist, listen closely to what arises, and then respond, making it our own. It’s a beautiful invitation to bring a piece of art to life with our own voice, our own perspective. Writing about the missing child ad gave me a chance to honor the people within the photos. When you encounter an image that won’t let you go, that makes you catch your breath, write about it, and watch a powerful story emerge.

Interested in exploring this for yourself? Join me on Saturday, June 27th and experience writing with visual art! In this immersive, generative class, we’ll explore the numerous ways visual art can ignite new work and infuse energy and excitement into projects in progress. We’ll view works of art in Inspirations Gallery and write to prompts designed to help you engage more deeply with the art that moves you. We’ll also experience SoulCollage®, an expressive arts practice where we’ll create powerful collages and use them to inspire further writing. (A background in art is not required for this enchanting process, and all materials are included.)

You’ll have the opportunity to share your work—if you wish—in a supportive space and receive encouraging feedback. Open to writers of all levels, whether you already love working with visual art and images or are simply curious about what might emerge when you start looking more closely. You’ll leave with several short pieces you can develop further, and enriching tools to add to your writing practice!