How many times have i said?

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.