There is only so much I feel I can authoritatively comment on in regards to letterpress, even with the visit to Meshwork. I’ve seen a documentary on the subject and visited a place of business; as much as I enjoyed both, I don’t feel I’m adequately familiar with the terminology and theories of such to give an informed opinion. However, there was one thing evident in both events that I understood clearly; how the artistry is manifested through the process. When Haylee adjusted the little restraints for printing paper on the underlying parchment, without so much as a ruler for mathematical precision, her knowledge of the craft and extensiveness of her own method shone through. As such; very few would be able to adjust on that minuscule of increments just by eye, unless they were absolutely sure of what they were doing.
One can take all the writing classes in the world, learn of literary structures, and writing methods, genres, meters, influences, etc… And yet, it is nearly impossible, during the physical process of writing, to adequately explain the minor, but still very present. sensations one experiences when deciding whether to use “who” or “whom”, or if their main character prefers coffee or water. The subtleties of a craft are only so teachable, which makes dedication to that craft all the more admirable. Ambition is what makes activity more than a hobby, and true ambition can really only be felt by one’s self. It’s your dream; how will you make it so?
I love what you’re getting at here – which is, as I read it, the power of intuition in creative work. How is intuition acquired, nurtured, and held onto? Though the embodied doing of something. You can read all of the “craft books” in the world, but you will learn to write by writing, and by reading writing. I think that by watching an artist work in a hands-on, physical medium – an artist making a bunch of minute decisions – we can remember that writing poetry is also a kind of “doing” (as disembodied and intellectual as it can feel). Nice angle to explore in this post.
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I really like the picture that you included! I also like the segment that you included about use of the words “who” and “whom” and how the small differences actually influence the reader in the grand scheme of things!
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