An inspiring new book under the Christmas tree this year (thanks, Mom!) was The Writer’s Brush: Paintings, Drawings, and Sculptures by Writers). It offers up the visual works of 200 writers in the 19th and 20th centuries, from marginalia (Dostoevsky drew faces of characters and architectural features of churches) to sculpture and fully realized landscapes and portraits (Poe’s self-portrait is riveting and unforgettable).

For some of the writers featured, according to author Donald Friedman, “each morning was apparently a coin toss to determine whether the day would be spent standing in a smock or seated with a pen.” The difference between words and pictures was trifling for some. “For half a century, I found myself writing in black on white,” said Colette. “And now for nearly ten years, I have been writing in colour on canvas.”

According to Jean Cocteau, drawing was just a “different way of typing up the lines.” It’s clear: creativity finds its way out. When I told my sister (who is both a painter and a writer) that I thought that I (as a writer) would take a drawing class, she said, “You will be bowled over by what you are not seeing now and what you can learn to see.” What a great challenge to start 2008: to see more!