A poem is no place for an idea. ~Edgar Watson Howe
Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule. ~Stephen King
Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage which you think is particularly fine, strike it out. ~Samuel Johnson
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What can be said of a craft that self-amputates and refuses itself the use of a finishing tool? Is it a craft or merely a trade that would limit ones creative reach? What creative purpose is served that demands you underreach, that you trash your most vital work? And what is it about this craft that dares to call itself an art?
Some touch of other beauty is needed for any craftwork aspiring to art. For the poet and wordcrafter, this means lensing and paring down words to shine on a particular episode of beauty so that it appears both pregnant and transparent. However deep the dig thru language takes, mining for that perfect word is worth it. Because there is no magic like finding the word that makes a phrase vibrate, that shocks a thought alive and opens a window to the world.
Those quoted above are notable, accomplished writers, each a master with his right of opinion. But no creative will be denied a voice on their say-so. Despite their stature and wisdom of years, the unapologetic artist will reach for his best in her own way without their permission, ever, over and over. It's in their DNA; it’s the creative nature. This is true even for writers. Any seduction or limit to the contrary demeans the coin.
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