Ideas for Starting Writing With Art
- For those with limited writing skills or little confidence with writing, try
beginning with an art project. This would work well with an arts and literacy
program, but could be used in any literacy program. Some people who are
beginning literacy learners may be wonderful artists. This type of project gives
them a chance to demonstrate their talents within the literacy group.
- Rather than extensive research, you may want to listen to several recorded
stories or ask Elders to visit your group to tell stories.
- People can create drawings, paintings, pastels, models, sculptures, or any art
form – based on the stories. They could create one piece of art or a series to
illustrate their concept of the story.
- When they’ve finished with their artwork, they partner with a fellow group
member or the facilitator to talk about their drawing. The partner scribes
(writes) the artist’s words, which then become the artist’s story. The story can
be used for reading and writing practice in many ways.
- For a group project, fold a large piece of paper into 16 sections.1 This activity
is like group storytelling, but through illustrations. Ask people to draw the
visual images for a story inspired by oral history interviews. One person
begins the story by drawing a picture in the upper left corner. The paper is
passed from person to person, with each one adding a new drawing to show
what happens next in the story. When the illustrations are finished, pass the
paper around the group again and take turns telling the story orally from the
illustrations. You can write this group story on lip chart paper and use it in
many ways for reading and writing practice. Or you can use this activity as a
stimulus for individual writing.
- This art and writing activity could become an illustrated story booklet that
your literacy group and future literacy groups or schools can read.