The Word and The Image

Face it, you’re a part of a huge online community that is moving and shaping art as we know it, and we know it’s easy to get lost in the crush of the millions of deviations out there. So how do you get noticed? How do you establish an audience or even know if your work moves or inspires anyone?
That’s where =VisualLit comes in.

For too long there has been a distinct separation between the visual community and the literature community and it’s time to bridge the gap and move towards a more intertwined community.

How are we going to do it?

=VisualLit

=VisualLit is a massive ongoing community project who’s goal it is to give visual artists a reason to read literature and to give writers inspiration and for both to know that their audience is involved! How many times have you writers out there wondered if your audience saw things the same way you did? Now you’ll know as visual artists pursue the Literature Resources and pick pieces out they find appealing and create a visual interpretation of them. It might be something as simple as a sketch of a character in your prose or a quick water color of a poem but they’ll create it and upload it to dA linking back to the original piece of literature in their artist’s comments. They will then send you a note with the link and from there it is up to you, the writer to do what you will with the piece. It will be heavily encouraged that you show your gratitude in some way, anything from uploading the piece as your preview image to a journal feature to something as small as a comment and/or a fav on the piece or add the link to your artist’s comments to show off your audience.

Likewise, visual artists are encouraged to contribute their pieces as well and have writers browse the thumbs to find pieces that inspire them. Writers will be able to, and encouraged, to browse Visual Resources and write a poem, a piece of prose, or even a novel inspired by and based of a piece of visual artwork. Like with the above, writers will be encouraged to upload these deviations with a link back to the original artist, and maybe even use the piece as the preview work (with artist’s permission of course!) and then send a link to the visual artist. It is encouraged that the visual artist show their gratitude in any number of ways not limited to but including a journal feature, comment/fav, adding a link to the artist’s comments, adding the text with citation direction to the artist’s comments, et cetera.

When you finish a collaborated piece it is recommended that along with sending the original creator a link you send =VisualLit the link as well so that they can add it to their list of completed art. We will then hold features and contests for completed pieces including many many fabulous prizes!

So where are these resources coming from?

From you of course! If you have a piece you would like to be added to the available resources you just have to send a note to =VisualLit and it will be added! Send as many as you like as often as you’d like, and if you get your fill and want to have your piece removed just send =VisualLit a note and it will be done promptly!

How do I join!?

It’s easy, just add =VisualLit to your watch and we’ll watch you! You’ll be updated when the resource directories are so you’ll always have a fresh supply of work to interpret.


Questions, comments, blinding flashes of insight? Just need a place to discuss collabs? Just need a place to hang out?
Join us at #VisualLit and we’ll get you squared away!