This article examines creative and critical writing integration in secondary English classrooms, challenging the binary between 'critical' and 'creative' writing. Drawing on notions developed within the aesthetic movement of literary criticism, the authors propose a pedagogical shift that positions creative writing as a legitimate form of literary analysis. Considering one classroom example, we illustrate how inviting students to inhabit texts creatively fosters deeper literary engagement and personal expression. Blurring the boundaries between critique and creation, we advocate for an approach that positions students as both critics and artists. By examining the entanglement of reading and writing, analysis and creation, we argue for teaching practices that honour the literary imagination as a form of intellectual inquiry.