Examples of An Artist's Craftsmanship at Work - 3

Let's continue with examples of an artist's craftsmanship at work.

Last time we meandered from the artist using the discipline of craftsmanship to some applications to our own labors, either domestic or in the workplace. (And, by the way, the artist and craftsman share in similar domestic challenges that require persistent, diligent attention.) But returning to the artist whose expression of creative impulses require a craftsman's touch, look at that example we used of the lyricist Oscar Hammerstein from the opening lines of the musical Oklahoma!:

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow 
There's a bright golden haze on the meadow 
The corn is as high as an elephant's eye 
And it looks like it's climbing clear up to the sky

Oh, what a beautiful mornin' 
Oh, what a beautiful day 
I've got a beautiful feeling 
Everything's going my way 

We noted that these words didn't just pop out of his brain. They were likely the result of long rounds of developing his word craft. He may have been artistically inspired by a bright golden haze on a meadow - either in nature or simply in his imagination - but the exact words and the further expression of this impression resulted from his word craft.

How does one go about developing such a craft? Not knowing exactly how Hammerstein went about this, maybe a personal reflection could give us some clues.

The word-craft required to write this blog every week doesn't just pop up out of my fevered brain. (And there's no pretense that the quality of these words holds a candle to a great writer's craft.) The impulse to do this required much repetitious practice over many years. (And the practice never ends!) I initially did some research into the development of writing skill and found that writing down the words of those considered great writers could be an effective method. So I literally found passages from various great writers and wrote them down, word for word - not only on a keyboard, but also writing script by hand. I remember the long months and years of repetitious exercise.

You can judge the results for yourself, but on this end, I can attest that those efforts at least made it easier to sit down and plunk out these words. First efforts were not so easy. Indeed, there were times when there was a dread of having to jot down whatever thoughts inspired a particular post. Not that things always flow like a clear, sparkling mountain stream, but at least it's not all blood, sweat, and tears as it once was.

Oh, and what about the hand-written script? Well, I read that writing in script with pen and paper was a good way to advance in the craft of writing. Simple as that. And as opposed to the vast majority of folks these days, I can write in script. Fact is, it was a required skill back in the ancient times when I attended Catholic grammar school, taught by traditional nuns. 

And if you can imagine it, in grammar school and high school, most of my written assignments had to be submitted hand-written. And, of course, the teacher expected to be given a copy in clear, legible script.

Seriously.

Indeed, some craftsmanship in writing was one of the necessary components of my business career as well. On many occasions, I had to write those memos that businesses require - or at least used to. And while the style of writing wasn't the same as a song lyric, it did share the common bond of clarity and succinctness. Look at Hammerstein's lyrics again and note there's nothing extraneous, no wasted words. Even the repetition of the first line is not excessive. If you listen to it sung with the melody, you'll in fact find it perfect. 

In case you're not familiar with the show, check this out from the movie version, presented by the fine voice of Gordon MacRae.

 

Not bad, eh?

I wonder if singing a well-written business memo rather than just writing it would find a welcome recipient? You know, with the right melody that matches the words just so, like Oh What a Beautiful Morning?

Probably not. But wouldn't it be something?!!