‘Word for word’ examples should be revered for their subjective purity and revealing potential. Traditionally, forms of verbatim include the written: letters, poems, diaries and notes; and the spoken: audio, video and digital recordings. However, they also encompass accurately recorded and transcribed interviews and increasingly include modern forms of communication: email and social media outputs such as tweets, threads and wall postings. Even more abstract forms of personal expression and representation: painting, music, dance, sculpture etc., while usually regarded as visual arts in the first instance, may also share valuable potential as a gateway into elusive personal worlds of interest.