In this article, the authors questioned how to use the Greek word ekphrasis as a way to teach student readers to transact with a text at multiple levels and then "speak out" as writers and creators of meaning. These teachers use the seminal painting "Guernica" to engage students in a transferable process focused on three key principles: negotiate (read), decipher (mean), and produce (create). This article promotes active construction of meaning through calculated risk-taking.