Wroet...?
The word ‘wroet’ literally means digging in the ground, like a pig does with its snout.
Figuratively, it can also mean working hard or toiling to achieves
When artists ‘wroet’
For artists, ‘wroet’ is an apt metaphor for the creative process because it captures both the physical and mental labor involved in making work.
Like a pig digging into the ground, artists begin by entering the unknown. They start with an initial idea or intuition, but instead of treating it as fixed, they dig into it. Through experimenting with materials, techniques, and forms, they learn by doing rather than by following a predetermined plan. This phase is often messy and nonlinear: things are tried, discarded, reworked, and transformed. In this sense, wroet describes the willingness to get one’s hands dirty and accept uncertainty as a productive condition.
Wroet also applies to the research aspect of artistic practice. Artists dive deeply into references, contexts, histories, and concepts, turning things upside down to see what lies beneath the surface.
This is not passive research, but active searching—questioning assumptions, making unexpected connections, and uncovering layers of meaning that are not immediately visible.
Reflection is another form of wroeten. After making, artists step back to examine what has emerged. They evaluate outcomes, identify tensions or gaps, and dig further into what works and what does not. Insights gained through reflection often send the artist back into the process again, continuing the cycle of making, researching, and reworking.
In this way, wroet describes artistic practice as an ongoing process of rooting and digging: a combination of effort, curiosity, persistence, and openness. By repeatedly working through ideas, materials, and questions, artists gradually make sense of their initial impulses and transform them into meaningful work.
.