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Words are so absolutely vital. The truly are like verbal painting - the right one adds depth and tone and patina. We so often fall into the same patterns, I mean how often do any of us pick up a dictionary (or open the app on our phone) to check a meaning or find an alternative.

As I break open topics for my art, I write down my thought process.

It allows me to refine my thinking, to go off on tangents, to return to the original idea with a fascination like our tongue seeking a gap-tooth or a burn on the roof of our mouth.

It allows me to choose words I wouldn't normally and to choose many words to try and pin down an elusive thought.

In cleaning out my studio I found a list of alternative words for said I wrote in grade four, all in beautiful cursive:

  • Acknowledged
  • Added
  • Admitted
  • Advised
  • Agreed
  • Announced
  • Answered
  • Approved
  • Argued
  • Assumed
  • Assured
  • Asked
  • Babbled
  • Bargained
  • Began
  • Boasted
  • Bragged
  • Called
  • Claimed
  • Commanded
  • Commented
  • Complained
  • Cried
  • Decided
  • Demanded
  • Denied
  • Described
  • Dictated
  • Emphasized
  • Estimated
  • Exclaimed
  • Explained
  • Expressed
  • Feared
  • Giggled
  • Grinned
  • Grunted
  • Indicated
  • Insisted
  • Instructed
  • Laughed
  • Lectured
  • Lied
  • Mentioned
  • Moaned
  • Mumbled
  • Murmured
  • Nagged
  • Noted
  • Notified
  • Objected
  • Observed
  • Ordered
  • Pleaded
  • Pointed out
  • Prayed
  • Predicted
  • Questioned
  • Reassured
  • Related
  • Repeated
  • Replied
  • Responded
  • Requested
  • Restated
  • Revealed
  • Roared
  • Ruled
  • Scolded
  • Screamed
  • Shouted
  • Shrieked
  • Snapped
  • Sneered
  • Sobbed
  • Spoke
  • Sputtered
  • Stammered
  • Stated
  • Stormed
  • Suggested
  • Taunted
  • Thought
  • Told
  • Urged
  • Uttered
  • Vowed
  • Wailed
  • Warned
  • Whispered

    Even back then I was fully exploring a topic, pushing it to the edge. Or so I insisted.

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