Arguing that to consider only the writer's mental processes is an intellectualist view of the composing process that does not present a fully human way of knowing, this paper takes the position that the writer is more than a mind at work and that an account of the writer as knower must include a consideration of the interaction between mind and experience. The paper supports this position by using a phenomenological approach, which views language not only as a means of communication but as a way of creating worlds, fashioning meaning, and sharing experiences. In conclusion, the paper shows that, based on this holistic view of the writer as knower, expressive writing used in the invention stage is a natural heuristic, leading to knowledge that is both self-specific and subject-specific. (FL)