{
  "id": 9303078,
  "title": "What Learning to Paint and Reading The Elements of Style Have in Common",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/what-learning-to-paint-and-reading-the-elements-of-style-have-in",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-23T09:08:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Literary Hub",
    "slug": "literary-hub",
    "url": "https://lithub.com/what-learning-to-paint-and-reading-the-elements-of-style-have-in-common/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The urge to express thoughts without words often draws painters to their craft, a sentiment that led the author to abandon writing for a time. Their decision to immerse themselves in color stemmed from a desire to escape personal crises, such as an empty nest, a struggling novel, and dealing with an aging parent. This choice came after they found inspiration in a book by William Strunk Jr., which later became a style guide in 1918. The author's passion for illustration led them to Chloë, a cherubic baby with teal blue eyes, carrot-colored hair, and a cherry bow of a mouth. The caption under her portrait encouraged attempting to use the words \"like\" and \"as\" in writing. The author signed up for a painting class to learn colors and shapes, but their attempts to paint a bowl of pears were unsuccessful, causing frustration. A kindergartener could have done a better job. After a few weeks, the instructor suggested learning to draw before attempting painting. The author eventually went to a private instructor who recognized their admiration for illustrator Maira Kalman and encouraged them to draw a pencil first. Despite the instructor's gentle guidance, the author struggled to draw a pencil, feeling inadequate and questioning their potential to become a proficient painter. The author eventually accepted that drawing and painting are skills that take time and dedication to master.",
  "summary": "I envy painters the freedom to convey thoughts without words. So much so that at one difficult stretch in my life I resolved to give up writing and pick up a paint brush. It wasn’t that I supposed that by",
  "key_points": [
    "Author abandoned writing for painting, inspired by William Strunk Jr.'s book",
    "Attempted to paint bowl of pears, found it frustrating and unsuccessful",
    "Recognized admiration for illustrator Maira Kalman, decided to draw first"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}