No Words or No Permission to Say Them?

Edward Hopper is credited with this: “If you could say it with words, there’d be no reason to paint.” I understand what he means, but I’d like to broaden it a bit, because the sentiment applies to writers and poets and musicians—artists of all stripes, really—some of whom do say it with words. I think it is not so much that we are unable to say it; it’s that we’re not allowed to say it, or that no one will listen and understand when we state it clearly. I’ve run into a lot of that lately. It makes me think that I should leave other things behind and pick up my camera and paintbrush more often.