“Putting it into words” changes the “viewing experience”—A recommendation for writing “impressions” for adults

After seeing an exhibition, a movie, or a stage performance, have you ever thought, “That was so good…!” but couldn't quite put into words what made it good, and then a few days later, the impression just faded away…

Have you ever had an experience like that?

I work as a corporate employee while also being active as an art writer. However, I come from a science background and originally had absolutely no knowledge of art or training in writing. That is precisely why I realize the insights and changes gained by writing down my impressions.

Along with the changes that came from the habit of writing these “impressions” for adults, I would also like to introduce the methods I have practiced myself to address the dilemma of “But how should I actually write them?”

Writing for yourself, not to show someone else—such a small habit might just change your “viewing” experiences at museums, theaters, and more in a big way.

1. Three changes gained by writing down your impressions

The habit of writing “impressions” is not just a record; it becomes training to polish your “observational skills” and “sensitivity,” making your hobbies even richer.and will enrich your world of hobbies.

① Memories become fixed

One of the biggest benefits is that it “stays in your memory.”Exhibitions and stage performances are experiences that are by no means small burdens in terms of time and money. But even the things you felt were good or learned from, you end up forgetting after a while, don't you?

However, I strangely remember the exhibitions I wrote impressions for very well, even years later. Writing impressions is the work of “fixing” that experience within your own memory.Furthermore, when you suddenly think, “Come to think of it, this work… might be a little connected to the work I saw at that exhibition…,” being able to quickly trace that memory is also a key point. As you recall it over and over like that, it remains in your memory even more.

Furthermore, such memories can be utilized in work and daily conversation. Increasing your memories means increasing your repertoire for conversation. When you have more things to talk about, like “Come to think of it, something like this happened at an exhibition I saw the other day…,” your interactions with people also become richer.

② Understanding deepens

When you try to put into words what you thought about at an exhibition, the organization naturally begins in your head.Things that were initially vague impressions, like “It was somehow good…,” start to have clearer outlines as you try to put them into words.

Furthermore, as you look up things you felt were vague while writing, such as “Come to think of it, was that painter classified as an ‘Impressionist’ painter?” you will acquire solid knowledge.

Not only does your understanding of the work and the era deepen, but your understanding of yourself also deepens.By writing, you might clearly see what you like, such as “I guess I like abstract paintings more than figurative ones” or “I’m more drawn to paintings than photographs.” As you think about why you “like” them, you might even see the major axes of your own interests and the issues you are aware of that you don't usually think about.

③ Leads to new interests

It is also common for new questions and interests to arise like a word association game while you are writing or researching.

For example, while watching a fashion exhibition and researching the fashion of a certain era, your eyes might be drawn to the architecture of that time. You might want to know more about that country because of the beautiful scenery depicted in a painting. By writing, one interest connects from a point to a line, and from a line to a plane.

Also, if you come to like one artist, you might meet new artists, such as artists with similar styles or artists from the same era. You encounter worlds you didn't know before, and you want to know them more deeply… such a fun chain reaction is born.

2. The “habit of writing” is also effective for work

The benefits gained from this habit of writing extend beyond just appreciating art or performances. While it is an activity for a hobby, it can also be applied to your work.

① Sharpening observation skills

To try to explain a work you like or to think about why this work interests you, you first need to observe the work carefully.

Instead of just glancing at the surface, comparing it from various perspectives—such as what makes it different from other works—can be applied to the process of carefully observing what is in front of you, listening, and discovering problems in your work.

② Developing structuring skills

Art works often have complex meanings or backgrounds that cannot be expressed concisely in a single word. In such cases, to put into words what you 'felt' while watching a work, you may need to organize your thoughts by grouping them into categories or considering cause-and-effect relationships.

Organizing your thoughts in this way is also useful for structuring sentences when giving presentations or creating documents.

③ Improving expression and communication skills

When you share the impressions you have written on social media, it also serves as practice for conveying your perspective to others. 'If someone who knows nothing about this work sees it, will this expression convey my meaning?' 'This cause-and-effect relationship makes sense to me, but would others think the same?' Writing sentences with the intention of conveying them to the other party in this way will naturally be useful in meetings and document creation as well.

④ Broadening your perspective

While coming into contact with diverse works, you may encounter works that differ from your own way of thinking, or you might see impressions on social media that are the exact opposite of yours even when viewing the same exhibition.

You might not feel particularly good when you encounter opinions that differ from your own. However, precisely because art does not have a 'single correct answer,' it becomes practice for learning about ways of thinking that differ from your own and accepting different values.

By training yourself to think from different perspectives, your field of view will gradually broaden, and even when you feel like saying 'that's wrong' on the spur of the moment at work, you may be able to stand in the other person's shoes and think for a moment.

3. The joy of 'book reports' for adults, discovered precisely because I was bad at writing

However, you might still feel that there is a hurdle to 'writing.' I, too, was originally very bad at 'writing.'

During my student days, I struggled every year with book reports for summer vacation homework, and I have bitter memories of forcibly filling up manuscript paper with words I didn't even mean while having no idea what to write... Even with 'impression reports' after becoming a university student, I would tense up, wondering what the 'correct answer' was, and my pen wouldn't move.

But what I realized after becoming an adult is, 'Wait? If it's about something I truly 'like,' isn't it actually quite fun to think about it and write about it?' that is.

Come to think of it, it is actually quite fun to talk to friends after seeing an exhibition or a movie, saying 'That work was great, wasn't it!', or to keep thinking about it after it's over when you didn't quite understand it, wondering 'What did that mean...?'

If so, 'writing impressions' might not be a task for producing correct answers or explaining things to someone else, but rather 'just taking notes so you don't forget your own experience,' or 'recalling what was interesting or what you didn't understand, and having a dialogue with another version of yourself.' It might be good to think of it that way. When I thought about it like that, I felt relieved.

I was able to become a little freer from the pressure I felt during my student days that I 'had to write properly' or 'had to write good things'.

Furthermore, regarding the hesitation of “not knowing how to write” that was one of the drawbacks of “impression essays” during our student days, finding your own “easy-to-write template” has made it much easier to write.

4. What should I write? Three “self-questions” for writing impressions

There is no right answer to what you should write in an impression. When you are moved by what you saw and the words to express that emotion are overflowing and won't stop...! I think you should just write it with that momentum.

But if you still find yourself stuck because you don't know what to write... in those moments, I start by asking myself questions like these, for example.

① “What kind of exhibition is it?” (Overview)

I imagine how I would explain it if a friend asked me, “What kind of exhibition is it?”

First, how would you describe it in a nutshell?

Even this can be surprisingly difficult to explain, even if it seems simple. In such cases, try reviewing the exhibition pamphlet or the introduction on the website. Sometimes you'll remember, “Oh, that's right,” or you might think, “Wait? That's a bit different from the impression I had...”

The important thing is to take a step back and look at “what the exhibition was trying to convey.” If you post it on social media, it serves as an entry point for people who don't know about the exhibition, and it makes it easier for you to remember when you look back on it later.

Once you can express it in a nutshell, try adding some detail to that explanation. You don't have to write your own “impressions” right away; just listing the facts is fine to start with.

② “Which work caught your attention?”

Next, try picking out works you liked or that caught your attention in the exhibition. One or two works that left an impression are enough.

Then, dig deeper into “why you were drawn to that work.”

You might find yourself at a loss here, thinking there's nothing to write other than “I just like it...” If that happens, try describing the facts again.

As you list facts like the work's motif, color, size, and material, you may start to see the elements you were drawn to, the artist's background, or the relationship with other works.

3. 'What are the points you want to recommend?'

If you were to introduce the exhibition to someone else, try thinking about 2-3 points you would recommend from different perspectives.

From the atmosphere when you enter the exhibition room, the works on display, the moments your heart was moved, to the lovely museum goods... try putting the charm of the exhibition into words from various perspectives. If you write while recalling what you felt with your five senses and your emotions at that time, it will become an impression that brings the experience back to life when you read it later.

As you connect the words found while answering these 'questions to yourself,' before you know it, your own unique 'impression essay' filled with the essence of your experience at the exhibition will be completed.

5. But when you feel 'It's still difficult...!' — Tips for continuing

That said, even for me, there are some exhibitions I can write about fluently, and others where I think, 'It was good, but it's hard to write about...' Also, there are times when I feel burdened, thinking, 'I want to write, but I can't find the time...'

At such times, there are some small tips for continuing without strain.

▍I think about various things at the venue, but forget them when I try to write later → Write down what you thought in bullet points on the train home from the exhibition

It is common to have been ruminating on how interesting the exhibition was with high spirits right after seeing it, only to have the impression become vague by the next day, or to think, 'Oh well, never mind.'

What I recommend is to take notes in bullet points, little by little, while on the train home or inside the venue. Just leaving bullet points like 'This work was the best,' 'I felt a change from before,' or 'I felt a sense of discomfort in this part'... makes it easier to recall your own sensations.

Also, if you write them out in bullet points like this, it becomes easier for those sensations to be structured during relaxing times, such as when you are in the bath or before going to sleep, and for your feelings and thoughts to connect, like 'I felt ●● → the reason is △△'.

▍When you feel you can't write an original impression! → Try reading art-related articles or other people's impressions

'It was good, but I can't put into words at all what was good...' At such times, let's try reading art-related introductory articles, reviews, or impressions written by other people on social media.

Words are tools for thinking. However, words that are not within you will not come out. You might notice, 'Oh, I resonated with this,' from keywords that appear in other people's writing, such as 'corporeality,' 'site-specific,' or 'uniqueness.'

What is important is not memorizing the words themselves, but noticing new perspectives and ways of thinking.

If you encounter an expression like 'That's exactly what I wanted to say!', it's also good to make a note like 'I resonated with ●●'s expression of "~~~"'. Such words will gradually become your own. By encountering perspectives and words you didn't have, the breadth of your expression will expand.

▍Should I publish it somewhere once I've written it? → It's okay whether you publish it or not

If you try to write 'to show someone,' you might get tense, but if you think of it as 'notes to keep for yourself,' you can continue it easily. On the other hand, I have a three-day-monk temperament, so I publish them on social media as much as possible for the motivation to keep writing.

The place to publish is also fine anywhere. In my case, I summarize short impressions on X, and when I want to organize my thoughts thoroughly, I summarize them on note. On the other hand, if I can only think of negative impressions, or if it's a story that leads to a very personal experience, I choose where to write based on the impact of the experience, such as keeping it in my own notes and not publishing it anywhere.

For example, on note, I write articles like the magazine below.

▍I watched it properly, but I didn't feel anything... → It's okay not to force it into words.

There are times when you go to an exhibition and nothing really sticks with you, aren't there? In such cases, I think of it lightly—it's okay not to force it into words. First, let's prioritize the things that 'stuck' with you.

▍Writing 'impressions' is still difficult... → Start by describing the 'facts'.

When you feel that it was interesting but writing down what you thought is just too difficult, try writing down only the 'facts'—what kind of exhibition it was, what kind of works were there, and so on.

Just listing facts or describing what kind of works they were can be surprisingly difficult. As you practice putting things into words in this way, you will start to see the points that caught your attention.

[Summary] Putting things into words is a shortcut to enjoying 'viewing' even more.

I am not an art expert, nor am I good at writing. However, by putting what I felt into words and leaving it behind, and by repeating the experience of encountering the works again, I have realized the effect that I can view them more enjoyably and deeply. That accumulation has become the power to organize my thoughts, the power to communicate, and it enriches my daily life.

You don't have to write it on social media, and you don't have to write it well.

Because there is no right answer to an impression, 'write for yourself'—that small habit of 'impression essays' for adults will multiply the enjoyment of your hobbies.